CREATING A BUZZ Maddison Cooper

A thesis submitted to the Victoria University of Wellington in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Design Innovation

Victoria University of Wellington 2017

1 Acknowledgements This thesis would not have been possible without the guidance and encouragement of my supervisors Tonya Sweet and Dr Catherine Caudwell. I am especially indebted to them for their continuous hard work whilst making me realise my full potential and providing me with the best academic support.

I am extremely grateful to all of those whom I have had the pleasure of meeting and talking to during this process. Your expertise, interests and attitudes have motivated and inspired me throughout my work and have shaped the outcome of this thesis. I would like to especially thank members from Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington Beekeepers Association, Wellington Botanic Gardens and the Beeple Honey Collective.

Nobody has been more important to me in the pursuit of this thesis than the members of my family. I would like to thank my ultimate role models, my parents, whose love and guidance is with me in whatever I pursue. Most importantly, I would like to dedicate this thesis to my late Grandad Trev, who initially inspired this research idea.

2 1 Abstract How might communication design be utilised to raise awareness about the sustained well-being of Wellington City’s honey bee populations?

Human concern and intervention has been and change the negative climatic influences. pivotal in maintaining the well-being of bee Regardless of whether these challenges are populations in Wellington City. Through the man-made or naturally occurring, Wellington applied knowledge of bee keepers, the health of City has the potential to embrace positive and local beehives has been sustained. This status, sustainable transformation and prosperity. A however, is increasingly challenged. Without literature review pursued as part of this research human interactions, bee colonies are now revealed three key themes: sustainable unable to survive due to a number of external environments; honey bee populations; and interferences, including climate change and the potential value of communication design the growing urbanisation of the natural habitat. to promote awareness and to invite action. Within this context, support for the care-taking Quantitative research addresses a professional practices of our bees requires prioritisation. perspective and this is pursued through semi- Supported by Wellington’s inclusion in the structured interviews with experts who have a 100 Resilient Cities (2017) initiative pioneered stake in the well-being of Wellington’s honey bee by the Rockefeller Foundation, the cultivation industries. of resilience in regards to contemporary physical, social and economic challenges is The objective of this research entails the imperative in the 21st Century. The motivation application of communication design in the to protect Wellington’s honey bee populations development of a campaign that has the ability reflects global concerns about declining bee to communicate a movement across multiple populations that are the result of changing platforms, provoking positive environmental ecological impacts. Through the development influences and behaviours amongst Wellington of communication platforms that function to City’s young adult population. This research raise awareness and appreciation about the aims to connect passionate individuals in important role of bees in sustaining Wellington’s communities who have an interest in supporting native flora, honey production, and environment the sustainability of our local honey bee ecologies at large, this valuable natural resource and with new-comers who are open to learning cohabitant will ideally see increased support. sustainable bee practices. Through providing With the considered application of communication a holistic presentation of current practices design, the importance of Wellington’s urban and bee populations within Wellington, and honey bee populations can be reinforced and information regarding the potential threats these existing knowledge can be shared throughout populations face, this campaign will enable this the community, including the next generation of generation of Wellingtonians to be prepared to bee keepers. protect this vital species. This research aims to examine ways that communication design might Currently, no quantitative information exists be utilised through different platforms to raise that enables an insight into the perception of awareness of the value local honey bees have relationships with bees as cohabitants alongside within our environments. The campaign goal is human populations and environments, and there to include educational tools that interact with is little in the way of campaigns that promote Wellington residents, specifically young adults, positive interactions with the bees that live to encourage a sustained support towards amongst us. Positive relationships with nature are honey bee well-being. needed to enhance resilience, and to confront,

3 Table of Contents

Acknowledgements ...... 2 ONE 3-5 Abstract ...... 3 Contents Page ...... 4 List of Figures ...... 5 TWO 6-8 Introduction ...... 6-7 Motivation ...... 8 THREE 11-31 Literature & Design Review ...... 11-31 Literature Review ...... 11-21 Design Precedents ...... 23-31 FOUR 33-38 Research Methodology ...... 33-39 Communication Design Principles ...... 37-38 FIVE 41-47 Stakeholder Perspectives & Design Recommendations ...... 41-47 SIX 49-72 Design Process ...... 49-89 Communication Design Criteria ...... 50 Website Design Criteria ...... 51 Photography ...... 52 Website Iteration 1 ...... 55-57 Design Feedback ...... 58 Website Iteration 2 ...... 59-62 Design Feedback ...... 63 Website Iteration 3 ...... 64-69 Physical Locations ...... 70-71 Social Media Outputs ...... 72 SEVEN 75-89 Final Design Prototype ...... 75-89 EIGHT 91-94 Conclusion ...... 91-94 Summary of Process & Chapters ...... 93 Future Pathways ...... 93 Personal Reflection ...... 94 NINE 96-98 Reference List ...... 96-98 TEN 99 Appendix ...... 99 Ethics Approval ...... 99

4 List of Figures

Precedents Page 24 Figure 4.1. Smuts-Kennedy, S., Tairoa, T. (2014). Park Pop Project 02 (Art Installation) [Digital Photograph]. Retrieved from http://www.pop.org.nz/projects/thepark/ Figure 4.2. Smuts-Kennedy, S., Tairoa, T. (2014). The Park (Art Installation) [Digital Photograph]. Retrieved from http://www.pop.org.nz/projects/thepark/ Figure 4.3. Smuts-Kennedy, S., Tairoa, T. (2014). Victoria Park Meadow (Art Installation) [Digital Photograph]. Retrieved from http://www.pop.org.nz/projects/thepark/

Page 26 Figure 5.1. Faccin, F. (2015). Micro Architecture for Bees (Public Installation) [Digital Photograph]. Retrieved from https://www.dezeen.com/2015/07/01/francesco-faccin-honey-factory-urban- beehive-bees-triennale-museum-milan-expo-2015/ Figure 5.2. Faccin, F. (2015). Beekeeper & Beehive (Public Installation) [Digital Photograph]. Retrieved from https://www.dezeen.com/2015/07/01/francesco-faccin-honey-factory-urban- beehive-bees-triennale-museum-milan-expo-2015/ Figure 5.3. Faccin, F. (2015). Built Structure (Public Installation) [Digital Photograph]. Retrieved from https://www.dezeen.com/2015/07/01/francesco-faccin-honey-factory-urban-beehive-bees- triennale-museum-milan-expo-2015/

Page 28 Figure 6.1. Buttress, W. (2017). “The Hive” Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, London (Art Installation) [Digital Photograph]. Retrieved from http://edition.cnn.com/2016/06/20/arts/the-hive-wolfgang- buttress/ Figure 6.2. Buttress, W. (2017). Design Elements (Art Installation) [Digital Photograph]. Retrieved from http://edition.cnn.com/2016/06/20/arts/the-hive-wolfgang-buttress/ Figure 6.3. Buttress, W. (2017). The Hive Interior with Visitors (Art Installation) [Digital Photograph]. Retrieved from http://edition.cnn.com/2016/06/20/arts/the-hive-wolfgang-buttress/

Page 30 Figure 7.1. Noble, A. (2015). Dead Bee Portrait #01. In No Vertical Song. Auckland, New Zealand: Two Rooms Art Gallery, 28 May-4 July 2015. Figure 7.2. Noble, A. (2015). Eidolon #5 [Pigment print on Hahnemühle paper, 1200 x 800 mm]. In Nature Study. Wellington, New Zealand: Bartley & Company Art Gallery, 4-28 February 2015. Figure 7.3. Noble, A. (2015). Bee Wing Morphology #6 [original tintype /silver emulsion on coated aluminium, 300 x 245 x 65 mm]. In Nature Study. Wellington, New Zealand: Bartley & Company Art Gallery, 4-28 February 2015.

Page 69 Figure 19 & 20 (Wellington Beekeepers Association, Personal Communication, May 29, 2017)

Personal Photography & Design Graphics Figure 1 (Page 9) Figures 2 & 3 (Page 14) Figures 8-18 (Page 53-68) Figures 21-24 (Page 71 & 72)

5 2 Introduction Creating A Buzz aims to address how instruct pathways for future environmental communication design can be used to raise concepts and actions. The key concepts awareness regarding relationships between from these plans have indicated a national Wellington’s honeybee ecologies and the eco-city focus, promoted through initiatives sustainability of our local environments. In towards: economic growth, social inclusion and this thesis, concerns of human interactions, environmental protection. With communication beekeeping practices and the well-being of design techniques addressing design for the honey bees are considered through Research education of the public, avenues of design About Design. The value of this topic is indicated are then evaluated to determine the correct by the current size and economic value of New application of ideas and output type. The design Zealand’s honey and related trade industries, precedents demonstrate how communication along with global concerns of bee decline design methods can be applied to honey bee from external influences such as climate and related concepts, and the purpose of raising agricultural farming practices. There are awareness through public installations. currently growing interests in beekeeping and bee concepts as urban beekeeping practices Research Methodology are become more popular in central and From the identification of key research and suburban Wellington. The engagement of design reviews, the research methodology public audiences aims to encourage positive structures the appropriate techniques and environmental actions in local communities and processes to follow throughout the duration of looks to foster an understanding of the importance the thesis. Research About Design methods of our local ecosystems and bee species. This includes the importance of design research, a includes encouraging the spread of knowledge human-centered design approach and visual and educational activities that can benefit research ideas. This then informs the qualitative bees, without having to physically interact with data collection and the recruitment process, them. This thesis aims to consider a holistic including representatives from: Victoria understanding of current issues and concerns University Biology Department, Wellington raised by key stakeholders, and how these can Botanic Gardens, Wellington Beekeepers be addressed, solidified or altered through Association, and the Beeple Honey Collective. design in future Wellington contexts. Key issues Semi-structured interviews with the recruitments to address are; the resilience and sustainability aims to collect perspectives and opinions on of our environments, raising awareness about current barriers and concerns about Wellington’s encouraging growth in our ecosystems, and bee populations and how current information showing how communication design can be and education is portrayed to local audiences. used to portray these ideas. An analysis of these interviews evaluates stakeholder perspectives and formulates design Literature & Design Review suggestions, as well as offering a structure of Supporting the thesis aims, the literature and key issues to include. The application of these design review includes current examples of methodologies informs the design development published research, and visual and installation phase and incorporates communication design designs that focus on the impact of honey bees principles in the pursuit of a final outcome. on local environments. The literature focuses on Research Through Design includes the iterative the key ideas realised by the state of Wellington’s design process, concept testing with stakeholder bee population health and explores approaches feedback, and the development and refinement to various local environment and bee-related of key proposed visuals and content. These concerns. The context of Wellington is defined, instructions lead and develop the final form and and an urban setting is included to support the target audience for the design, with the website current rise in urban beekeeping. Wellington’s prototype foreseeing future extension through current resilient and sustainable plans, including related media platforms and physical location ‘Global Sustainable Development’ and ‘100 interactions. Resilient Cities’ have been implemented to

6 Stakeholder Perspectives & Design Recommendations Design Process Realising the need for expert opinions and Through the design process, all data collected current industry information leads to the and research conducted is synthesized into undertaking of four separate semi-structured a comprehensive website prototype which interviews with stakeholders from Wellington prioritizes visual media, and photography in organisations. This process involves a range particular, as a tool for raising awareness and of representatives with academic, beekeeping, communication. All content and research conservation and community knowledge and previously conducted is utilised, with the experience. Commonalities of current industry addition of visual components - specifically concerns were addressed through these the media of photography. The photographic interviews and documented, showing particular elements aim to explore a different perspective concerns surrounding the cultural perception of the bee, one that gives an insight into a larger of the bee, the correct management of hives, scaled world and the scale at which they would current education platforms and content, and interact with their surrounding environments. A environmental barriers. Forms of online content communication design and website criteria is and sharing of information is one of the main formulated from communication principles which educational focuses, with discussions about aim to address the purpose of design for the organisation-resident interactions including: education of the public. The design iterations sharing through websites, Facebook, and focus on the aesthetic of a functioning website, community projects/events. From the interviews, with online interactive notions designed to primary commonalities are identified and applied imagine a real life scenario. Critical feedback to the formulation of a communication design from key stakeholders enables the information criteria which illustrates how to visualise these and images to be refined and explicitly state ideas, and how to create a cohesive message whether the content is worthy and suitable for that can be targeted towards the correct presentation. Consideration of the potential audience. Through suggestions from experts, interaction at physical locations is designed current target markets in Wellington include through the integration of QR codes at public younger generations, particularly primary school beehive locations, e.g. the two beehive locations children and education programmes. This is at the Wellington Botanic Gardens. This enable why the chosen target market for this design a direct link to the online prototype with more focuses on students and young professionals in opportunities for information viewing and sharing Wellington, who are understood to be the next among social media platforms. The social media generation of bee caregivers in Wellington City. platforms (Facebook and Instagram) allow The decided outputs of social media platforms for specific locations to be tagged, which are and a website prototype are ideally suited to this then collated on the website to demonstrate target market as they are commonly the largest the physical community involvement through users and consumers of these media types. This images online. Collectively, these platforms aim consideration leads into the design process, as to illustrate the meaning of human interactions the research and design methods, key ideas, with our local bee populations and how we can target market and outputs have been previously visually represent and take actions towards researched and justified. encouraging their well-being, growth, and future existence in Wellington.

7 Motivation Trevor Charles Ottaway 30/07/1923 - 02/04/2002 Grandad & Beekeeper

When my mother was growing up in and passionate about the bees’ place in Gisborne (mid 1960s) Granddad Trev the world, especially our local ecosystems. and his father Alfred Zion Ottaway ran a As a child, I remember observing Grandad beekeeping business. My mother used to inspecting the hives at the farm and tasting work alongside them in the honey shed, the freshly extracted honey. We now helping with the extraction of honey from the have beehives at our own home in central frames and then decanting the honey into Auckland as a consequence of growing up jars for sale. With Alfred passing away during around them and being knowledgeable that the late 1960s and a change in the health the species is under threat and the vital role regulations for food handling, Grandad they plan in mankind’s existence. Observing Trev stopped selling honey commercially. and learning about Grandad’s true devotion He then continued as a beekeeper with a to honey bees, has inspired me to continue small number of hives on a friend’s farm and this legacy through my own talents and he was paid to place his hives in kiwifruit contemporary ideas. With our current orchards and among squash crops for climates changing so rapidly, it is important pollination. The honey extracted from these that these historic beekeeping practises are hives was distributed to close friends and not forgotten and are used to help prevent family. He was extremely knowledgeable future honey bee extinctions.

8 Figure 1. Grandad Trev and his bees in Gisborne, by Author

9 10 3.1 Literature Review

11 Introduction The honey bee acts as a symbol that connects policy intends to involve global communities humans, more-than-human populations and that promote and practise initiatives towards Wellington’s environmental sustainability and three core elements: economic growth, social resilience. Both humans and honey bees rely inclusion and environmental protection. Local on the sustainability of Wellington’s natural strategic goals have also been identified by the environment, co-existing in communities with Wellington City Council (2016), through the ‘100 large populations, and must strive to achieve Resilient Cities’ platform, which seeks to achieve survival in an increasingly urbanised ecosystem. a complete eco-city integration into urban areas. The importance of other living species in our As more initiatives are developed to ensure the environments needs to be recognised among well-being of sustainable urban environments, local sustainability plans, which should aim to the required human actions of Wellingtonians encourage the well-being and contributions of are being critiqued and improved upon. honey bee populations. The intensity of honey bee population decline has been realised on a In an effort to address New Zealand’s bee global scale, through ongoing losses of natural population specifically, in March 2017, Auckland crop productions and produce industries. In City Council introduced a funded art project order to prepare for future living scenarios, we called ‘For the Love of Bees’ that aims to turn must first identify and address the needs of our Auckland into the world’s safest city for bees. local populations. As bee populations are one The major priority of the project stands with the of the only existing natural pollinators, their role health, wellbeing and happiness of the hives in in sustaining the growth of surrounding sub- central Auckland, with honey production being a ecologies is crucial to Wellington’s ecological secondary concern. The campaign introduced and biodiverse system. Currently, declining a bee colony of 5,000 bees to Auckland’s honey bee populations worldwide is primarily Victoria Park, which will stay for the next two the result of the growth and well-being of their years, eventually growing into a colony of about ecosystems being threatened. The honey bee 150,000 (Pasley, 2017). To provide a sustainable is one of the biggest contributors to our natural food source for the bees, parks and reserves resources as well as the provider of a commercial are being connected by bee-friendly planting, product industries that influences New Zealand’s creating targeted ‘pollination pathways’ with economic state. They support food productions, these connections being supported by free the pollination of native flora, and ultimately weekly sessions about seeds and sustainability. play an essential role in maintaining a thriving The campaign is aimed at creating a “safe ecosystem. The resultant declining domino effect inner city ecosystem for bees by educating has the potential to lead to substantial losses people about what seeds they should plant, in food and consumer industries. For instance, introducing more hives and planting more bee- detrimental to New Zealand alone, NZ Federated friendly flowers throughout Auckland” (Pasley, Farmers (2016) has identified that “pollination 2017). For the Love of Bees organisation (2017) provided by the bee industry contributes at least explains that “each of these hives needs 140 $4.5 billion annually to New Zealand’s economy million flowers to visit to make the honey they will and underpins a further $12.5 billion of export need to have a healthy colony. This is why we revenue for the horticulture, arable, pastoral have established a biological/organic teaching and beekeeping sectors”. With the honey bee garden at Griffith Gardens so that everyone can providing such environmental benefits and come and learn how to grow the 840 million contribution to a diverse range of industries, flowers the Bees in Parks will need.” Along with their relevance to New Zealand requires us to the Victoria Park habitat, the project artist Sarah focus on providing adequate care that solidifies Smuts-Kennedy says “we will also have hives in their growth and existence in future contexts. Myers Park as well which means we will have 300,000 more bees in City Parks by the end of Wellington City’s current ‘Global Sustainable the year.” Targeted at the benefit to Auckland’s Development’ and ‘100 Resilient Cities’ inner city population, the greatest lesson learnt implementation plans have begun to establish from this project is that bees can thrive in urban potential opportunities for future human environments. The implementation of this project contribution to the conservation of our global sheds light on the current education tools environments. Solutions for global climate needed for local communities and individuals concerns and trends have been established to help bee populations thrive in their natural and reinforced by the United Nations, 2030 environment. Agenda for Sustainable Development. This

12 This Auckland bee project was invented and of our understanding the effects of human constructed by a Fine Arts student, and is an activity on honey bee ecologies can indicate the example of how current concerns and issues well-being of surrounding ecosystems, and how regarding honey bee populations can be these production systems relate. addressed through communication outputs. The central location of the hives addresses Historically, the introduction of honey bees to public audiences and physical interactions in New Zealand was valued by both indigenous Auckland’s urban areas, with community parks cultures and resources. Due to the vast being used as the showgrounds for these bee expanses of land turned over to farming habitats and planting initiatives. The practice of “following the First and Second World Wars, communication design enables these issues to the number of beekeepers and beehives be addressed through principles that directly increased considerably as land was cleared target design for the education of the public. and developed for agriculture, shaping what Communication mediums are the ideal tool would eventually become a flourishing national to design information that is suitable across industry” (Beard, 2015, p.4). Until then, the first multiple platforms and can act as an educational introduced honey bees had remained feral and resource for the public. The relevant ideas unmanaged, and “had become plentiful in New about the importance of honey bees in New Zealand’s indigenous bush areas as early as Zealand and their influence on our surrounding the 1860s and considerable quantities of honey environments and future sustainability can be were being sold by Maori” (Gillingham, 2012). targeted through communication design outputs The influx of bee populations spread rapidly with the intent of raising public awareness. among the North and South Islands as feral honey bees, at their peak “were estimated to Honey Bee Populations number between 10,000 and 50,000 on each The initial introduction of bee species to New island contributing to a large proportion of the Zealand began in the 1830s, with eight different pollination services for pastures and horticulture species deliberately introduced, including crops” (Goodwin, 2010). Beard (2015) explains the honey bee (Apis mellifera). The purpose the benefits to native resources also “underpins of their introduction was to pollinate either red New Zealand’s excellent international reputation clover (Trifolium pratense) or lucerne (Medicago and export market for a range of high- sativa). The honey bee was first introduced from quality monofloral honeys (i.e. honeys that are England into the North Island of NZ in 1839, then predominantly sourced from a single indigenous followed by their introduction in 1842 into the plant species)” (p.5). This pristine reputation South Island from Australia. Howlett & Donovan means that “indigenous forests are highly valued (2012) indicate that “of the 40 species of bee by beekeepers for the clean nectar and pollen within New Zealand’s biogeographical region, sources that they provide (i.e. free from the 13 have arrived since European settlement chemical toxins that are often associated with with 8 having been deliberately introduced food crops), which is an important requirement to aid crop pollination”. The resultant growth for maintaining and rebuilding the strength and development of the bee industry in New and health of managed bee colonies” (Beard, Zealand is substantial, as NZ Federated 2015, p.5). In order to protect the pureness of Farmers have identified “pollination provided our environments and honey bee populations by the bee industry contributes at least $4.5 “various imports of live bees occurred up until the billion annually to New Zealand’s economy 1980s, when the practice was halted to protect and underpins a further $12.5 billion of export New Zealand’s bee health status” (MPI, 2014). revenue for the horticulture, arable, pastoral As concerns grow regarding bee health and and beekeeping sectors” (Federated Farmers, well being, future controls are expected as “all 2016). The importance and contribution of this domesticated beehives in New Zealand now rely “sector holds such a responsibility; pollination on human interventions for survival” (Goodwin, delivers much of the food we eat and a large 2006). This shows that while, previously, we portion of the products which we export, as a relied on the environmental contributions of bees nation” (Federated Farmers, 2016). There is no to support our industries and global reputation, other sector in New Zealand that creates such now they, in turn, rely on human intervention for a diverse market of opportunities for creation guidance and survival. The mutual benefits from and consumption. The importance of bees both historic and current relationships in New pollination, combined with the production of Zealand, further justify the concerns associated honey by-products, underpins the scale of their with honey bee survival and their environmental contributions for human benefit. The importance conditions and treatment. 13 Figure 2. Family beehive in our backyard at home in Auckland #1, by Author.

Figure 3. Family beehive in our backyard at home in Auckland #2, by Author.

14 The overall reality of honey bee population The prominence of Wellington’s beekeeping decline is due to many contributing impacts practises advances the recognition and local such as climate change, viral diseases, harmful expertise regarding honey bee populations and pesticides and mistreatment through mass general hive wellbeing. Continual maintenance agricultural farming. The declining nature of and concerns are demonstrated predominantly honey bee populations becomes rapid as through the Wellington Beekeepers responses by beekeepers are relied upon to Association’s online platforms and community eradicate any harmful influences. The current meetings. In order to relate to the current urban knowledge and expertise of beekeepers can environmental trends, NZ Federated Farmers either interrupt or encourage honey bee growth in wants a “recognition of the value of bees to hive-based locations, with specific observations New Zealand as a whole to the country and being key in interpreting unique issues. The the economy, and ongoing financial support major viral disease, varroa mite, established in to be made available to the bee industry for New Zealand in 2000 is “predicted to have an the continuations of surveillance, education economic impact of $365-$661 million between and bee research” (Federated Farmers, 2016). the period 2003 to 2028 and between $198 and Urbanisation observations throughout recent $433 million dollars in the South Island alone” decades, indicated by Goddard (2010), show (Howlett & Donovan, 2012). NZ Federated that “research in urban environments has Farmers indicates, “aside from habitat loss, embraced the ecology-of-cities paradigm: an the main issues leading to a pollinator crisis in interdisciplinary approach that views urban New Zealand are increasing honey bee pests landscapes as socio-ecological systems within and diseases, declining floral resources leading which humans and their social institutions are to pollen shortages and bee malnutrition and integrated with the environment” (p.92). This undervaluing the vital role of the beekeeping concept relates to the habitat interconnectivity of industry to the economy” (Federated Farmers, our ecological systems, which poses concerns 2016). The particular focus on declining floral related to current honey bee maintenance resources and bee malnutrition will be key and habitat loss. The survival of honey bee influencers throughout the communication ecologies currently relies largely on the design process. As solutions already exist guidance and control of beekeepers caring for regarding the spread of varroa mite, new ways beehives in central Wellington, alongside other need to be identified to create solutions for uncontrollable factors such as weather and other main issues, all contributing to the overall habitat conditions. A response to the importance environmental sustainability and the well-being and education of beekeepers must be reliable, of honey bees. Creating a shared responsibility as they are imperative to the survival of honey among residents, for example, identifies that “it bee populations. Regarding the well-being of is vital as a country we recognise the immense bee species, assessed risks around introduced value the honey bee delivers and accordingly populations must “consider the requirements take immediate steps to strengthen our protection for a continuous and high-quality food supply of this key sector” (Federated Farmers, 2016). for indigenous species in order to support population survival and fitness” (Beard, 2015, p.8). To sustain Wellington’s current urban environment, “careful consideration needs to be given to the timing of beehive placement relative to flowering peaks and critical life-stages of indigenous fauna, and to the number of beehives that may be appropriate for any given area” (Beard, 2015, p.8).

15 Global Sustainability Ideally, honey bees need warmer temperatures, The encouraging ‘pro-environmental behaviours’ lots of sunlight and less wind and rain to definition by Steg and Vlek (2009) “refers to enable them to function on a daily basis. behaviours that harm the environment as little Uncontrollable elements such as weather and as possible, or even benefit the environment” habitat conditions affect on the consistency of (p.309). Current threats to environmental the climate and the bees ability to cope with sustainability, including “urban air pollution, climate changes. This means that any extreme environmental noise and loss of biodiversity, weather conditions can halt the bees natural many of these problems are rooted in human processes and, with global climate conditions behaviour” (Steg & Vlek, 2009, p.309). Barr becoming more prevalent, specific bee (2003) suggests that a “solution to this problem limitations will result from the damage climate is often seen to lie in the provision of information change is having on bee populations. Current and knowledge dissemination” (p.227), initiatives addressing climate change issues regarding the prediction of sustainability. were introduced in September, 2015 by the United An ongoing evaluation and problem solving Nations, in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable indicator shows “the challenge is to understand Development. Sustainable development, the cognitive, motivational and structural factors defined as “development that meets the needs and the processes that threaten environmental of the present without compromising the ability sustainability, so that pro-environmental of future generations to meet their own needs” behaviours could be facilitated and emerge (United Nations, 2015). Specific goals aim to worldwide” (Barr, 2003, p.315). Informative reach “all countries and all stakeholders, acting design strategies illustrate changes to moral in a collaborative partnership,” as the realisation and normative concerns, habitual behaviours, for a greater scale management followed and environmental motivations. One major on from the successes of the Millennium response to consider is assuming the “belief that Development Goals (MDGs). These targets individuals and institutions can be persuaded have become “global in nature and universally to accept responsibility for the production of applicable, taking into account different national environmental problems and change their realities, capacities and levels of development everyday practices to alleviate future impacts” and respecting national policies and priorities” (Burgess, 1998, p.228). Grainger, Mao and (Sachs, 2012). The shared responsibility of Buytaert (2016) propose; “by providing alternative performing actions in order to improve the planet future conditions, choices and possibilities, for future generations, has evolved from the scenario planning and analysis are useful tools immense scale of concern throughout all social, to deal with uncertainty, especially in an era of economic, and environmental dimensions of uncertain trajectories of global change” (p.303). sustainable development goals (SDGs). These 17 SDGs are accompanied by 169 specific qualitative and quantitative objectives, with numerical indicators being developed to test the progress and effectiveness of each goal.

16 Wellington Eco-city Focus Wellington’s ‘Towards 2040: Smart Capital’ plan According to world land mass statistics, illustrates actions and goals towards becoming Wellington city includes a comparatively high a fully functioning eco-city, by involving suitable percentage of open spaces, documented approaches to environmental change and at around 48% of overall land. The strategic improvement. Richard Register’s (1987) book, city plan supports important biodiversity, Ecocity Berkeley: Building cities for a healthy carbon-reduction, landscape and recreational future originally documented the term “eco-city” benefits, and increases growth potential for as a “living system with a land use pattern that our ecological networks (Towards 2040: supports the healthy anatomy of the whole city, Smart Capital). The direct availability of natural enhances biodiversity, and makes the city’s resources is imperative to honey bee colonies functions resonate with the patterns of evolution as it facilitates the transportation of pollen and and sustainability” (Register cited in Wong, the fertilisation of crops across connected 2011, p.3). One of the main goals documented landscapes. The interdependency of human by the Council is to protect Wellington’s green and non-human species and the ‘rights’ and infrastructure, including the Town Belt, to support ‘intrinsic values’ must also be included when biodiversity and offset carbon emissions. The considering environmental issues, as land- additional goal, to involve everyone in a city- use planning can no longer afford to be purely level approach to Wellington’s future as an human-centered. Wong (2011) stresses that eco-city, combines the two systems of human global concerns regarding “rapidly rising urban involvement with ecological contributions. populations, relatively low levels of environment- Wellington’s inclusion in the 100 Resilient Cities led technologies, management and awareness initiative aims to realise environmental practices in environmental protection all contribute to that can be applied to future scenarios, involving the urgency for action” (p.1). The construction and educating the actions of current residents. of Wellington’s urban landscape enables an This relates well to education about the integration of ecological networks, that are integration of honey bee populations, specifically reliant on the close proximity of native and concerning the role of honey bee populations exotic plant vegetations. To consider a pursuit and how these populations are currently being towards a sustainable ecosystem, the focus has managed. “Resilient Wellington is part of a wider to become ecological, with concerns focused global initiative bringing together 100 cities towards urban planning and future sustainable working on improving their resilience through environments. Critical interactions between shared analytical tools, processes and most of Wellington residents and their surrounding flora all through shared ideas and lessons learnt” and fauna needs to take into account the future (Rockefeller Foundation, 2017, as documented growth and placement of urban populations on by the 100 Resilient Cities, 2017). One of the main more land areas. The development of urban observations in Wellington city is the need “to spaces for greater population growth must adapt our people, infrastructure and institutions integrate further communal areas for inner city to our changing built, natural and economic species. All considerations must include effects environments, particularly the need to adapt our on the life-cycles of our landscapes, ecological city to the effects of a changing climate.” The systems, and human populations in order to integration and access of people in Wellington, understand the interrelation between their becomes a crucial aspect in achieving momentum existences and reliances on one another. towards urban sustainability.

17 Lundquist (2011) indicates that continual Capital’ plan identifies that “we need to build our climate changes heavily impact our ecology resilience to the impacts of climate change and as “New Zealand is one of the global hotspots protect our natural resources” (Wellington City for biodiversity due to its high endemism, and Council, 2016). In conjunction with a resilience potential threats to fauna and flora” (p.180). plan; “we need to understand and develop the Biodiversity is further restricted, as “about 78% economic potential of our ecological assets of terrestrial habitats have been extensively through research and innovation” (Wellington modified through conversion to agricultural, City Council, 2016), to recognise the ability pastoral or urban landscapes” (p.180). Lundquist design has to expose the capabilities and identifies that, “the most serious threats to New constraints of our urban environments. A central Zealand’s biodiversity and ecosystems involve focus into the beneficial ecological contributions interactions between climate change and of the honey bee, accentuates the importance pre-existing threats such as habitat loss and of healthy interactions between inner city human fragmentation, and invasive species” (p.186). and non-human populations. Goddard (2010) documented current trends in ecology and evolution and determined that “as In light of the increasing urbanisation and urbanization increases globally and the natural population growth among developing cities environment becomes increasingly fragmented, like Wellington, the sustainability of honey bee the importance of urban green spaces for ecologies is a priority. Grimm (2008) proposes biodiversity conservation grows” (p.90). In that urban concerns should change an order to understand connections of growth and environmental focus on “material demands of sustainability “we will need to develop more production and human consumption that alters urgent responses to protect our biodiversity, and land use, biodiversity, and hydrosystems locally gain a better understanding of the relationship to regionally” (p.756). A careful consideration of between our urban and natural environments” empathic human and non-human relationships (Towards 2040: Smart Capital). Resilience is imperative to understand future influences on to environmental changes needs to become surrounding biological systems. A sustainable a critical and flexible approach, considering focus stabilises future environments, whilst future trends can only be predicted, not fully encompassing the growth and biodiversity confirmed. Relating the impacts of biodiversity of native species. Brown (2016) considers to the input of humans requires an empathic that, “how we understand and recognise our view of the environment and the ability to notice relationship with nature is reflected in our and implement feasible actions. The focus approach to sustainability. As the degree of this on urban environments becomes highlighted relationship weakens, so does our respect for when realising the occupancy of industrialised nature and consequently our tolerance for doing humans on native land, who often have a better harm” (p.31). Effective promotion of empathic understanding of other species and the need relationships addresses the need for greater for coexistence. Lundquist (2011) proposes; environmental awareness across Wellington future advanced plans and infrastructure must City. This includes the existence of individual include “other adaptation plans to ensure our human impacts alongside the occupancies of communities and ecosystems are as resilient as developing structures and buildings, engrained possible in the face of uncertain changes to New in Wellington’s overall structure and orientation. Zealand’s climate” (p.188). Grimm (2008) insists “urban ecology at the local scale centers on the relationships among urban The importance of relating the impacts of climate design and constructions, ecosystem services change and resilience strategies on honey bee delivered in the new system, and responses populations, raises concerns for the overall of people to evolving opportunities” (p.756). pollination and survival of sub-ecologies and The importance of seamless correlations crops. A mutual existence of ecosystems involves between honey bee species, shared ecosystems determining how relationships can interact and urban configurations allows for a design and alter throughout the process of evolution. implementation that recognises the importance Considering local environments, the ‘Smart of New Zealand’s bee populations.

18 Communication Design In order to relate directly to the well-being of honey a social purpose by describing them collectively bee ecologies, communication design needs to as “a very interesting tribe who deliberately and provide an opportunity to raise awareness and intentionally pursue interspecies relationships disseminate information and sustainable tools in with insects - their relationships emerge from soul- physical and online environments. Through the searching, altruism, commerce, activism, and power of highly accessible and interactive visual community building” (p.209). There is potential media harnessed in communication design, to learn from current beekeepers’ relations empathy and engagement may be cultivated. with honey bee populations, to understand the Communication design offers an ideal means to vulnerabilities and behaviours of the species. promote these issues. Further, the exposure of In order to correctly portray the honey bee’s current sustainable beekeeping practises and relevance to our environments, public education knowledge within Wellington can be portrayed and future honey bee information will be through design which reinforces the sustainable influenced by current beekeeper interactions follow-on effects of honey bee activity in our and understandings. Moore and Kosut (2013) environments and communities. Incorporating have a particular desire “to understand our an understanding of the current relevance of fellow urbanites in their yearning to ‘connect honey bee populations in New Zealand will aid with nature’” (p.209), proposing a direction for in structuring the type of designed information more-than-human integration, furthering the conveyed to the public. This research aims to opportunity to purposefully raise awareness and connect the important relationships concerning fostering empathic understandings. Wellington’s honey bee ecologies, so that adequate and ethical care can be maintained. The intended aim of integrating Wellington The collective output of communication designs audiences provides opportunities for knowledge aim to raise public awareness towards our sharing and personal environmental awareness, shared ecological condition as it relates to alongside specific honey bee interactions and climate change and the critical need for bees in behaviours. The combining of information and our native ecosystems. new communication tools has the ability to influence positive sustainable attitudes and Communication and Communication Design behaviours. Overall evaluations from a wide Communication is an invaluable, yet complex range of industry experts will allow for multiple tool and its application must be approached with perceptions to inform the current challenges great consideration, specifically in relation to the and concerns of the honey bee industry, use of common language and the boundaries which can then be addressed through design. between human and more than human species. Visualisations and various media platforms aim to Grainger, Mao and Buytaert (2016) caution that entice individual viewers to promote and practise “within the interface between science and society, sustainable solutions for the benefit of honey indifference towards communication prevents bee health and well-being. The technological comprehension, creates misunderstandings and aspects become important when considering the inconsistent or bias messages” (p.300). An overall source and portrayal of information, and whilst conclusion from their investigations is that “there considering the interactions these applications remains a gap between scientific knowledge offer. To implement an effective outcome, the generation and non-scientific, societal information and design must be concise and application” (2016, p.300). The overcoming of appealing to contemporary local audiences, boundaries between species is well documented by contextualising the location and role of by Donna Haraway, who explains that “trans- the bee in Wellington in terms which resonate species encounter value is about relationships with the intended audience. Grainger (2016) among a motley array of living beings” (Haraway rightly observes that “from a user or audience cited by Moore & Kosut, 2013, p.210). Haraway perspective, visualisations should increase (2008) proposes a behavioural change understanding; and ultimately, enhance their among people “propelled by the tasty but ability to complete a task or make an informed risky obligation of curiosity among companion decision” (p.301). Applied well, communication species, once we know, we cannot not unknow. design has the ability to convey perceptions If we know well, searching with fingery eyes, we of Wellington bee organisations that structures care. That is how responsibility grows” (p.287). persuasive and meaningful educational tools for Moore and Kosut (2013) give urban beekeepers targeted audiences.

19 Through the eyes of the communication design with public persuasion, directs the specific creator, Jorge Frascara (2004), “to design is to purpose for overall design considerations. invent, to project, to program, to coordinate a long The specific output focus of data visualisation list of human and technical factors, to translate is achieved by integrating a significance in the invisible into the visible, and to communicate” graphic and technological forms across various (p.2). Jorge Frascara, in 1997, introduced the multimedia platforms. The end communication term ‘communication design’ as one which design “expressed in this definition states associates with multiple disciplines and graphic that data visualisation is about facilitating styles, originally formed from the graphic design understanding” (Kirk, 2016, p.21). In order “to profession. Visual communication, closely derive understanding from data we need to see related to graphic design, falls under the broader it represented in a different visual form” (Kirk, scope of communication design as it relies on the 2016, p21). The act of data representation allows visual output of products and ideas. The words a spectrum of personal opinions to formulate, ‘visual communication’ modify the word ‘design’, based on context specific facts and examples. and relate it to the production of visual objects Inclusive of the data visualisation role, the aimed at communicating specific messages. concept of “pragmatic design” (Katz, 2012), The visual aspects have been narrowed in, due enables the user to understand and interpret to its close relation to intended outputs. Visual data. Kirk, alongside Katz (2016) identifies “an communication, “seen as an activity, is the important reason for giving greater weight to process of conceiving, programming, projecting, pragmatism is because of people: people are and realizing visual communications that are the makers, the stakeholders, the audiences usually produced through industrial means and and the critics in data visualisation” (p.7). are aimed at broadcasting specific messages to specific sectors of the public” (Frascara, In line with Wellington’s Towards 2040 plan, 2004, p.2). In order to confine the definition to intended audiences and responses are a professional design field, Frascara (2004) invited to consider the aims reflected by the argues that “the purpose of communication council. One main aim identified is to ‘support design is to affect the knowledge, attitudes, and participation and engagement through increased behavior of people - something that happens transparency and accountability of city-level after the communication takes place” (p.13). The decision making.’ Specifically noted is the need particular goal of impacting public knowledge to include active communities that support makes it clear that the visual communication innovation and resilience. The technological of ideas can be imperative when creating an design output relates to the wants regarding understanding or pitching a potential change the use of ‘ICT and social media to augment in behaviour to a larger audience. The best traditional forms of engagement to increase application of ideas can be portrayed and access and relevance of city and community- effectively contribute to implementing the intended level activities’. The engagement of communities output, with specific consideration to the context through online platforms of information allows and receiving audience. an unlimited reachability of data, outside of the main context of Wellington. The application of In order to specify the requirements and criteria the information to Wellington allows a potential applied to a design output, an integration of direction for communication design to become different communication practises needs to be a resourceful avenue to process and display identified and considered. In Jorge Frascara’s information for public audiences. The ability to 2004 publication, the most appropriate term revise content and generate creative content on documented for the intended design outcome engaging platforms, encourages interaction and is ‘design for the education of the public’, as “it understanding of complex issues. The intended works in methodological terms through the three Wellington audience is encouraged to revisit the types of design already discussed: information, importance of inner city working populations persuasion, and education” (p.157). This is due and family-based residents, in combination with to multiple components of design collaborating in increasing further education and awareness an effort to design for a particular focus towards throughout local communities. A specific design raising awareness. The three components of direction to integrate public strategies and information, persuasion and education are information will be focused through the intended broad indications of design, when paired outcome of changing behaviours and attitudes.

20 Conclusion The development of a platform that can effectively our approach to sustainability. As the degree of address the issues faced in Wellington’s this relationship weakens, so does our respect contemporary bee populations requires an for nature and consequently our tolerance ethically centered strategy. As proposed for doing harm (Brown, 2016, p.31). The by Moore & Kosut, such a strategy involves objective of raising awareness in order to foster creating more deliberate and thoughtful working empathic relationships, requires influencing the conditions for bees that consider their health behaviours and actions of local urban Wellington and well-being. A potential direction begins to populations. The willingness for communities to extend understandings into how humans talk unite and to see change as necessary will be about and regulate bees. This can also be used, reflected in the development and understanding expanded, and perhaps reconceived through of ethical bee interactions and the personal considering relationships between humans and relationships these foster. The health of the nonhumans (Moore & Kosut, 2013, p.173). In honey bee becomes reflective of the individuals relation to urbanisation and sustainability, Moore in a community, their survival is dependent on suggests that we need to become more aware the willingness and nurturing of beekeepers. of our ecological inertia and complacency and The passion and interest of these individuals will be more critical of buying into symbolic green drive the growth of bee populations and set up consumerism. The manner in which we engage a network of professional mentors with trusted with bees is being questioned through ethical skills and experience to lead the future practices engagement which encourages modifications in in beekeeping and the engagement of the wider our practises and relationships with bees; it seems community in the maintenance and care of the to us that this speaks to contemporary notions bees’ environment. of sustainability. Current information regarding honey bee populations needs to be directed in Understanding our reliance on nature needs a manner in which they are not taken for granted to direct the opportunity for communication as an inexhaustible natural resource. Moore and design in a core way, to sustain local and global Kosut (2013) believe that we must position bees conversations. The various manifestations of in relation to us, not as mere insects but as a communication design target education through highly valuable species that must be protected. visual stimulus extended on a public platform, Properly directed, beekeeping practices are to engage a variety of audiences. This design able to inform types of positive interactions with output aims to provide a new vision and narrative bees, whilst carefully considering their location for sustainability. As Brown (2016) suggests, and their environmental purpose. Moore and “we can and must rethink and develop a new, Kosut reinforce this perception of beekeepers shared understanding of sustainability, with in saying, “collectively we pin our hopes on new stories, a new language and new thinking” beekeepers as a sign that human and nonhuman (p.31). The empathic perspective provides a lives will prevail in environments choked by different approach in the outputs intentions, human progress, consumption and desire. with an understanding of the importance of Perhaps humans have not simply domesticated honey bee populations helping to broaden the bees; instead, they have created a new place tolerance for critical issues and acting as a and social space for the city farmer” (p.214). symbol for positive change. The overall design intentions aim to foster an understanding Globally, there is a greater personal disconnect and create a future critical direction for these and lack of responsibility towards actions that particular sustainability issues, by enabling an create a positive environmental change and in insight into our collective and individual human recognising the need for a greater importance impacts on nature. Engaging local communities in sustainable and ethical human interventions. targets the importance of individuals connecting Brown (2016) suggests that “we can and must and having a voice in the future of our societies. reignite sustainability, set the sustainability soul Supporting actions of change, whether small on fire, make sustainability fun and exciting, and or large, creates a collective responsibility inspire a new generation, acknowledging the to act upon the threat of extensive honey bee damage of the past and make amends, healing decline. The capabilities of being able to aid the future” (p.27). A future direction breaks in this problem, by providing individual steps down opposing relationships between humans to a greater solution, reinforces the dedication and nature, and combines a radical and ethical humans need to have in order to support the engagement in prevailing environments. The wellbeing and growth of New Zealand’s bee recognition and acceptance of this relationship populations. is reflected in our understanding and therefore 21 22 3.2 Design Precedents Installations & Photography

23 Figure 4.1. Park Pop Project, by Smuts-Kennedy, S., Tairoa, T.

Figure 4.2. The Park, by Smuts-Kennedy, S., Tairoa, T. Figure 4.3. Victoria Park Meadow, by Smuts-Kennedy, S., Tairoa, T.

24 The Park - Auckland Community Project Sarah Smuts-Kennedy & Taarati Taiaroa Auckland, New Zealand

Design Features Communication Design Principles In Auckland, Sarah Smuts-Kennedy and Taarati This New Zealand art project shows some of the Taiaroa have created The Park, an installation of many ways information can be portrayed and beehives and what they dub “pasture paintings” experienced by the public. The visual display of across the inner city. In Victoria Park, off these working beehives relates to contemporary Beaumont Street, six beehives have been set out communication design principles such as the in a changing hexagonal planting of bee food. practise of Design for the Education of the Public and Design for Information. The visual aesthetic Purpose and central placement of the design poetically Expectations of interaction within a park are connects plant sources with inner city honey challenged, making us consider our relationship bee populations and provides an example of an with nature and how we treat it in a city setting. The ideal urban bee habitat. Displayed signs and the artists see the space of the artwork as mapped physical nature of the installation enable public by the flight paths of the bees themselves, and audiences to be confronted with an experience community participation. “Pasture paintings” to show how we can integrate bees into our have been created on roadside berms in the communities. Communication strategies are inner city to provide food for the bees, their employed in this project through its specific designed shapes hot-steamed into the grass. urban location that clearly demonstrates New Zealand’s bee culture and local practises that have the ability to physically and visually transform our environments.

Reference Smuts-Kennedy, S. & Taiaroa, T. (2014). The Park, POP Projects. Retrieved from http://www. pop.org.nz/projects/thepark

25 Figure 5.1. Micro Architecture for Bees (Public Installation), by Faccin, F.

Figure 5.2. Beekeeper & Beehive, by Faccin, F. Figure 5.3. Built Structure, by Faccin, F. 26 Micro Architecture for Bees Honey Factory & Francesco Faccin Milan, Italy

Design Features There has been a recent push from the design This wooden beehive by Italian designer community to increase efforts to protect the Francesco Faccin has a 4.5-metre chimney to welfare of bees and encourage them to live in keep its inhabitants away from children and cities. Snøhetta installed a series of wooden vandals. Currently installed in the garden of the hives in Oslo, while Bettina Madita Böhm Triennale design museum in Milan, the Honey designed a cylindrical concrete beehive for urban Factory houses a traditional beehive and all the beekeepers to use on rooftops. For his project, equipment needed to process the sweet liquid Faccin worked with beekeeper Mauro Veca to the bees produce from nectar. At the main design an optimal habitat for the bees. “I was Milan Expo site, the British pavilion is shaped able to work starting from accurate and reliable to reference the honeycomb structures found in information, which is a key condition for an beehives, and presents visitors with information experimental project but scientifically correct,” about the lifecycle of bees and their role in the designer said. pollinating food crops. Faccin designed the structure to protect the hive from bad weather, Communication Design Principles and to keep it at a constant temperature with The visual display of a working beehive in this optimal ventilation. “It can be considered as a project relates to contemporary communication real micro architecture that leaves a mark in the design principles such as the practise of Design urban landscape where it’s placed,” he said. for the Education of the Public and Design for Information. All external factors of habitat Purpose placement, environment and human interactions The project also aims to promote the idea of have been considered by the designer in order urban beekeeping and provide information to facilitate a positive learning experience for the about its environmental benefits. A door in the public. The format and viewing components of back features metal-mesh panels and the front the design enables a visual insight into a regular has a thin window, so passers-by can watch the beehive, exhibited in a protective casing to bees and the beekeeper at work inside. “Honey ensure no harm. These visual and informative Factory will play a role of educating and allowing design features exhibit communication principles citizens to approach a complex and fascinating as well as providing a different informative world of insects, observing them, listening to the experience, unique and dedicated to its specific bee buzz,” said Faccin. location.

“Through a processing of materials, bees create Reference a rich, comprehensive and sustainable food Honey Factory is “micro architecture” for bees. without reworking, comes directly from the (2015, July 1). Dezeen. Retrieved September 7, producer to the consumer.” 2016, from http://www.dezeen.com/2015/07/01/ francesco-faccin-honey-factory-urban-beehive- bees-triennale-museum-milan-expo-2015/

27 Figure 6.1. “The Hive” Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, London (Art Installation), by Buttress, W.

Figure 6.2. Design Elements, by Buttress, W. Figure 6.3. The Hive Interior with Visitors, by Buttress, W.

28 ‘The Hive’ Wolfgang Buttress London, England

Design Features The Hive was inspired by scientific research and therefore feeding the planet. I thought that into the health of honeybees. Installed at Kew was perfect for Kew because we want to bring Gardens in 2016, the Hive is a unique, multi- alive why plants matter, and clearly one of the sensory experience designed to highlight the most important things that plants do, is to feed extraordinary life of bees. It is some 17m square humanity.” and is set in a wildflower meadow where the visitor can explore and reflect on the complex Communication Design Principles relationship between bees and their foodsource. This project demonstrates key communication It is the design of UK based artist Wolfgang design principles through the physical Buttress, originally created for the UK Pavilion interactivity of the sculpture in a public space. at the 2015 Milan Expo. It is 17 metres tall, is This targets the practice of Design for the constructed from 170,000 aluminium parts Education of the Public in its compelling nature and 1,000 LED lights and took four months to and large scale simulations of a beehive. The construct. design features target information, persuasion and education of the public and observations The Hive is an immersive sound and visual are intensified by the enlargement and upscaling experience. The lights and sounds inside the of an ordinary beehive. Through this change Hive are triggered by bee activity in a real in scale a different perspective and therefore beehive at Kew. The intensity of the sounds and understanding is influenced by the designer, light change constantly, echoing that of the real with other connections to the environment and beehive. It is a visual symbol of the bees’ role the concept of climate change being its primary in feeding the planet and the challenges facing purpose. This immerses people physically in bees today. a beehive simulation through sound, light and visuals, using sensorial communicators, similar Purpose to visual outputs and experiences encouraged The Hive aims to highlight the importance of in communication design. the honey bee in feeding humanity, and the challenges facing the species due to climate References change, pesticides, and lack of biodiversity - a 1. Kew Royal Botanic Gardens. (n.d.). The Hive. message which makes it a perfect fit for its new Retrieved April 25, 2017, from http://www.kew. home (after the exhibition in Milan) in a densely org/kew-gardens/attractions/the-hive populated city such as London. “The purpose 2. Chalmer, S. (2016). “The Hive” Sound and of ‘The Hive’,” says Director of Royal Botanical light installation controlled by bees. Retrieved Gardens, Kew Richard Deverell, “is to tell the from http://edition.cnn.com/2016/06/20/arts/the- story of the role of bees in pollinating crop plants hive-wolfgang-buttress/

29 Figure 7.1. Dead Bee Portrait #01, by Noble, A.

Figure 7.2. Eidolon #5, by Noble, A. Figure 7.3. Bee Wing Morphology #6, by Noble, A. 30 No Vertical Song & Nature Study Anne Noble Wellington, New Zealand

1. No Vertical Song A result of a newfound passion for beekeeping, The over-scale images of bee wings titled Noble has become “preoccupied with learning “Eidolon” (a spirit image or phantom in ancient about bees and understanding the hive, how Greek mythology) suggest something at once it functions and its significance for the larger essential, ethereal, even angelic. Such images ecosystem that we are a part of.” Her most are described at being included to “operate recent photographic project Song Sting Swarm within the exhibition to steer us beyond a began in 2013 with an exhibition at Two Rooms. rationalist, scientific approach to knowledge to No Vertical Song is the latest installment, something broader”. With scientists struggling showcasing 15 photographs of dead bees, to understand, contain and manage colony called the Dead Bee Portraits. These works are collapse and the huge economic ramifications installed as if populating an imaginary museum for crop pollination, Nature Study evokes a of the bee, in a time when the bee no longer sense of alternative frameworks embodied in the exists. The artist’s concern with the worldwide values of the nature study movement and the decline of the honeybee results in an exhibition more contemporary understanding of human that is a haunting and elegiac reminder of the impact on the ecosystem. importance of our relationship to the natural world. Communication Design Principles Noble uses photographic techniques and Using a microscope to function as a camera imagery to convey a sense of relationships with rather than a scientific instrument, Noble bees and to illustrate other perspectives by fuses art and science to illuminate an issue using microscopic camera lenses to intensify she cares about deeply. In order to align both the bee’s form and features. Imagery and aesthetic and scientific modes of observation photographic concepts are main considerations and representation, she invented her own in communication design, showing storytelling microscopic imaging tools and also worked capabilities through visual outputs. The alongside scientists using advanced electronic storytelling aspect and descriptions of Noble’s scanning machines. The portraits were made exhibitions imbues bees with a living persona with a scanning electron microscope – an image- and relates them to human characteristics and making process employing an electron beam functions in an anthropomorphic way, whilst stimulated by the element gold. The resulting enabling a general visual education of the bee works involve the use of light from both the itself. These contemporary techniques speak visible and invisible spectrums to create images to the different types of media communication that seek to encourage a connection to animals, designs which can be exhibited and aid insects and ecosystems. in information reaching a variety of public audiences. The main communication practices 2. Nature Study exhibited are Design for Information and Design While concerns about the decline of the honeybee for the Education of the Public through varieties are at the heart of Noble’s project, this exhibition of scale and content. By placing these pieces (Nature Study) looks at how we perceive and in art galleries, any wider context is removed, understand the natural world. Drawing on the so the focus is purely on the physical form and strategies of science and more specifically visual characteristics of the bees. morphology (the study of the form and structure of organisms), Noble uses specimen slides, References her own homemade microscope and electronic 1. No Vertical Song | Exhibition | Two Rooms. scanning microscopes to bring us intensely (2015). Retrieved from http://tworooms.co.nz/ close-up photographs of bee anatomy. exhibition/anne-noble/ 2. Nature Study | Exhibition | Bartley and Company Art. (2015). Retrieved from http://www.bartleyandcompanyart.co.nz/ exhibition,Anne_Noble, 276

31 32 4 Research Methodology

33 Introduction This chapter will identify appropriate research physical placement of hives within public spaces, methods to be used throughout the research this encourages a communal understanding and design phase of my thesis. Initially, the and awareness between human residents and literature review revealed three key themes that local bee populations. The website and social serve as a framework for investigation within media platforms are designed to help viewers this research: sustainable environments; honey understand and appreciate the validity of bees bee populations; and the potential value of in Wellington and increase visual stories of communication design to promote awareness interactions and positive outcomes of keeping and to invite action. The preliminary research bees. about design identified the use of design research, visual research with the integration of Research About Design a human-centered design direction. The design Design Research development process is led by qualitative Sullivan (2010) suggests; “the promise of change data collection and discussions supported by that comes from the imagination takes shape in communication design principles. The use of the things we create, through what we make communication design principles will complete and experience, or from what we come to see the criteria for the final design prototype, and know through the experience of someone encompassing all design, visual and human- else. Using the visual arts (and design) to turn centred methods. Finally, the research through questions into understanding that give rise to design phase includes iterative designs and more questions not only describes an aesthetic feedback from key stakeholders, in order to process of self-realization, but it also describes form a cohesive output that accurately portrays a process of research” (p.121). The practice of Wellington’s honeybee populations. art and design research is described by Mäkelä (2006) as “a dynamic relationship between the As discussed in the literature review, there is research context, the question, the method and growing concern for the well-being and caretaking the audience. Variations in any of these affects of Wellington’s bee species, emphasising the appropriateness of the chosen method” the need for them in our ecological system. (p.16). There is no preference or superior More empathic relationships between people set methods. As Mäkelä suggests; “research and bees would encourage positive future in art and design is conceived of as being interactions for bee species’ development interpretational and pluralistic in nature” (p. 16). and wellbeing. Social and cultural issues are Design research author Nigel Cross (1994:3) relevant to the sustainability and conservation defines design methods as “any procedures, of current and future bee populations in techniques, aids or tools for designing that Wellington, and these methods and approaches ‘attempt to bring rational procedures into the include the visualisation of current climates and design process” (Cross, cited by Nemeth, the impacts it may have on interactions in the 2004, p. 99). Nemeth (2004) believes that both future. The communicative design techniques research and design methods combine to discussed within my thesis focus on the interpret a collection of new knowledge and the visualisation of information that has the potential conception and modelling of speculations about to inform positive interactions with existing bee how to solve problems. Not only does design populations. My project locates and visualises research enable an understanding of the end the perspective of stakeholders within this issue consumer, but “some have used the expression to address and encourage suitable conservation ‘empathetic design’ to express a more ambitious information and techniques. Online platforms goal of seeing a situation internally; that is, as can provide a larger scaled visual insight into potential consumers will see it” (Laurel, 2003, bee species and colourful interactions among p.39). Laurel (2003) recognises that through the Wellington’s natural environment. The value capacities of design research we have the ability of communication design visuals and targeted to imagine, invent and iterate our way out of a material addresses both the education of the crisis, proving that design is not only a profession public and designing a tool for education itself. by a way of life. Evidently the enabling of various The technological aspect and media platforms research perspectives fosters an expression target the interactive nature of information and of new knowledge with the potential for design the accessibility of content to both physical and to construct solutions and bring rationality into virtual Wellington audiences. By mapping the material form.

34 Human-centred Design In the context of design research and the defined as a study of images, forms and objects multitude of complexities it addresses, an initial from both visual and material culture. Muratovski understanding of the end user is imperative (2016) believes the ability to critically examine for human-centred design. Rouse (2007) the effects that images and objects have on explains that the process of human-centered people’s lives is particularly important for all design considers that “concerns, values and designers, regardless of their disciplinary focus. perceptions of all stakeholders in a design effort In my project, the intention is to visually enlighten are considered and balanced” (p.5). Through and improve the audience’s visual perceptions Rouse’s design ideas, the primary objectives of bee populations, creating insight into their within human centered design drive the individual lives and how they function from day designers’ thinking to enhance human abilities, to day, just as we acquire an understanding overcome human limitations, and foster human of a human population. This insight is carefully acceptance. The stakeholder’s preferences photographed at a larger scale that evokes the and concerns are considered, understood and way bees view and navigate their surroundings. cultivated during the design process. Kleinsmann This provides a visual contrast to how humans (2013) also agrees that the designers’ purpose view the world and creates an insight into the role is to identify and correspond with primary we can have to help and understand such a vital stakeholders as a means to better understand species. The essential aim is to trigger empathic how user research drives design decisions and relationships and to stimulate an awareness of itself provides an understanding of end users. In that local surroundings and ecosystems are not order to focus on the design needs of the end “ours” but are shared. Muratovski supports this users and stakeholders, it is important to guide the by asserting that certain applications of visual design process through a criteria that influences content require a consideration for the intended the portrayal of information, the intended target audience, accessibility, and the embedding into audience and the use of different media types. particular contexts that “involves thinking about The final stage of the design process, described how the viewers and the users are positioned by Bartel and Garud (2009), reflects the skill in relation to the image, the form, or the object” communication of the designer, where a narrative (p.162). Here, a visual platform across online must demand and connect to the needs and and social media channels targets a younger, questions of the audience. Agreeing with this technology-efficient audience by creating a process, Kleinsmann concludes that successes place to collect and view common stories and between the designer and consumer lie in the encounters. In order for the visual communication communication and interaction of all concerned of this design to resonate with users, ideas, parties and the way in which this dialog shapes customs, and behaviours of a particular person the meaning of particular pieces of information. or community, I will provide the ability to become visually embedded in a wider cultural and Visual Research environmental context. It is important for me as a The meaning and communication of visual designer to show that every individual action or mediums (photography and graphic design) in interest can lead, cumulatively, to a collection of my project is important as these will represent key positive actions, the sum of which is greater than insights into current concerns about Wellington’s its parts, including having the ability to extend honey bee populations. Visual research is beyond a Wellington context.

35 Qualitative Data Collection Recruitment of Participants, Semi-Structured Interviews, Stakeholder Perspectives & Design Suggestions

The recruitment of participants took picture that emerges. Laurel (2003), too, values place through local community events, qualitative data collection because “individual recommendations and online research with interviews are ideal for learning exactly how each relevant stakeholders and organisations. person feels and thinks about a topic or design, Through industry suggestions from the without concern for the influence of others” Wellington City Council, key stakeholders were (p.25). The variety in the stakeholder accounts identified and contacted with a proposal to be acquired here comes from their current position included in the design phase of my thesis. The in the bee industry, with a range of information key respondents included the Head of Biology and answers arising from academic, hands- at Victoria University, the Wellington Beekeepers on and active participant information and bee Association, the Beeple Community project and encounters. Evolving from this idea, Nemeth the Wellington Botanic Gardens. The specialities (2004) considers that qualitative methods such of expert individuals participating include as in-depth interviews are “most useful and academics, beekeepers, and local community powerful when they are used to discover how and conservation advisors with leading roles in the respondent sees the world” (p.254). In research and projects concerning the education summary, Creswell believes the entire qualitative and wellbeing of Wellington’s current and future research process “involves emerging questions bee populations. These insights provided a and procedures, data typically collected in the detailed depiction of the current state of bees in participant’s setting, data analysis inductively Wellington, as well as providing expert knowledge building from particulars to general themes, of areas in need, specifically targeting the future and the researcher making interpretations of the management and identification of barriers to meaning of data” (p.183). The commonalities growing bee populations. In total, there will be in each interview provide a realistic approach one representative from all four organisations, to designing for a purpose, as the design aims enabling the capture of a holistic view, inclusive to fill current gaps in education and provide of academic research, current education communicative tools that can be applied to and community bee projects/practices. In future bee ecology contexts. the field of communication design, “it is more common to suggest that visual designers “gain To appropriately analyse the data and information from the public” (Frascara, 2004) interpretations of the honey bee industry through formative interviews or usability tests of collected from the semi-structured interviews, prototypes, but recommendations focus primarily a thematic analysis has been used. Guest, on the aesthetics of representation” (Frascara MacQueen & Namey (2012) believe that this cited by Kleinsmann, 2013, p.145). Content design research process “means that qualitative selection and communication design strategies researchers study things in their natural settings, influence the visual elements of the final output, attempting to make sense of, or to interpret, staying true to information and recommendations phenomena in terms of the meaning people made by the expert participants. bring to them” (p.4). The process of a thematic analysis is defined by them as “textual data Qualitative research is defined by Creswell generated from in-depth interviews and focus (2014) as “an approach from exploring and groups - which are often transcribed verbatim understanding the meaning individuals or groups from audio recordings - and, to a lesser degree, ascribe to a social or human problem” (p.183). participant observations notes” (p.10). It is As determined by Creswell, the reason for required that the researcher be more involved designers to conduct such research is “because and interprets explicit ideas from the data, and we need a complex, detailed understanding of thereby describes and identifies key themes. an issue” (p.183). This approach is used in my Saldana (2009) defines a theme as a “phrase or thesis in the incorporation of all key stakeholders sentence that identifies what a unit of data is about in Wellington’s bee industry to account for all and/or what it means” (Ryan & Bernard, 2003, current and future concerns for honey bee p.65). Ryan and Bernard provide tips to identify survival. Creswell proposes a holistic account themes through the recognition of: repetition, where researchers try to develop a complex metaphors and analogies, transitions and silent/ picture of the problem of issue under study. missing data (2003, p.66). This process is ideally This involves reporting multiple perspectives, the most suitable as it deconstructs transcripts identifying the many factors involved in a of interviews in order to identify recurring ideas 36 situation, and generally sketching the larger and main concepts to focus the design output. Application of Methodologies to Design Development Communication Design

The communication design strategy structuring and education. The development of these my thesis uses disciplinary approaches and principles forms a visual design strategy to tools to aid in producing a concept inclusive of combine multiple avenues of information and communication design principles. I chose this intended audiences (2004, p.158). Frascara particular design practice for my methodology appropriately cautions, however, that education because the main objective of the design is cannot rely solely on the passing of information, to “influence public good” (Frascara, 2004, and that educational materials must engage p.35), pursuing hidden dimensions of our participants and communicate different types social and environmental communities which of visual learning and interactions, just as require communal solutions that, in turn, call Socratic teaching seeks to impart knowledge in for persuasion to a way of thinking. Resonating a sustained way. with my beliefs as a designer, Frascara (1997) considers that “it is necessary for designers to Communication design principles and recognize the needs of the social and physical visual design techniques help to establish environment within which they work and to the design criteria regarding the value and which they contribute, and to take conscious purpose of decorative elements and content steps to define the future direction for their on the website. Communication images aim profession” (p.19). Similarly, one of the modern to bring a dimensional output that supports design applications of communication theory the perception and meaning of information on was propounded in 1983 by Patrick O. Marsh, multiple platforms. Significance and relevance who instructed that “the communication design are major determinants for calling attention, model consists of a source, a message and a “as communication, in turn, does not end with receiver” (p. xvi-xvii), and he used a synthesis of attracting attention. Essentially, it involves several diverse disciplines, theories and points making information understandable, usable, of view to devise a systematic process. interesting, and, if possible, pleasing” (Frascara, 2004, p.61). These are definite considerations Communication design was first described in assessing the clarity and purpose of images, in Jorge Frascara’s 1997 work, with the in communication design. The inclusion of initial principle that to “design is to invent, to images, per se, is imperative on educational project, to program, to coordinate a long list of websites and social media platforms, and human and technical factors, to translate the “must be visually strong, [and] highly cohesive” invisible into the visible, and to communicate” (Frascara, 2004, p.59), and must be tailored (p. 2). Communication design is defined by to move from being captured in a physical Frascara (2004) as “the process of conceiving, environment to being uploaded into a virtual programming, projecting, and realizing visual one. The reality of such images must portray communications that are usually produced the context surrounding the bees/beehives through industrial means and are aimed at and ecology, and visually convey an enriched broadcasting specific messages to specific human encounter. The images must be strong sectors of the public” (p.2). Adhering to these enough to emerge clearly and become separate notions, the intent of my thesis is to impress from the online context. This technique ensures a positive focus onto public consciousness, every visual aid tells its own story and evokes attitudes, behaviours and relationships different reactions from the viewing, alone, of the concerning Wellington’s bee populations. The website’s written content. main communication principles incorporated in this project are; Design for Education This website platform, supported by the and Design for the Education of the Public. communication design principles for media In Design for Education, the work of visual design and interface interaction, allows for communication designers moves between a contemporary technological approach informative and persuasive avenues. Persuasive to be recognised and influential. Frascara communications intend to affect the behaviour of (2004) suggests that interaction is central to the public, alongside educational messages that communication, for stimuli to become information, intend to contribute to personal development one has to actively interpret, through a variety of (Frascara, 2004, p.152). Relating to design actions - to live is to interact. Essentially, every for the education of the public, objectives possible physical and virtual “interaction is relate to methodical terms of all three types of our human way of dealing with things and with communication design: information, persuasion, information” (p.173). 37 The relationship between human interaction, the user to “enjoy the equal opportunity to create, processing of information and understanding is contribute and disseminate messages, such facilitated through presenting information with the user-centered content has unprecedentedly ability to manipulate its content across media enriched communication, both in its content and platforms. In terms of both the profile of the in format” (Zhang & Lin, 2015, p.671). Reiterating universe where one is and one’s location within this perspective, Dolan (2017) has redefined it, Frascara asserts that “the design of interfaces social media behaviours to include a particular must respond to the need - that sense of “where focus on the consumer’s engagement through am I?” (p.174). Rationalising and relating the creation, contribution and the consumption of content to a Wellington context allows audiences content within a social network. From Dolan’s an experience and visualization of a time and research, three main objectives are addressed place - relevant both to them and to the honey demonstrating that communication happens bees and beehive locations. A major concept in through four main types of social media terms of design thinking that comes to play is the content: informational, entertaining, relational notion of usability: ease of use, ease of access and remunerative. Perhaps conclusively, this and ability to be found (Frascara, 2004, p.174). is followed by Dolan’s indication that the most At the same time, Nemeth (2004) rationalises common type of post used by brands is photos. design thinking and human centered design through a technological approach, enabling Due to the diverse existence of social media everyday experiences “to extend human interfaces, the two platforms that I have chosen abilities and to overcome human limits” (p.3). for my thesis are Facebook and Instagram. The marrying of usability with a technological Lipshultz (2015) records that Facebook is approach requires discipline in design, given the most popular platform and takes the that the object of the website is to facilitate an biggest market share, allowing users to utilise understanding of a different existence - that of various features designed for interpersonal the bee species. These design ideas are met by communication, whereas Instagram allows the crossing of physical and virtual interactions audiences to piece together images into a encouraging relationships among humans, larger narrative of storytelling. These channels, organisations, the environment and structures. especially Instagram, have a very visual and Nemeth puts an emphasis on the need for interaction approach with capabilities targeted at these socio-technical system designs to fill the younger consumers. Lipschultz concludes that inevitable void between our physical and virtual sharing information through social media apps relationships, considering the effects on all has become an integral part in the way people parties involved. in general - and particularly youth - choose to express themselves online. This reality has led For my design output I have chosen to me to design the website for a target market of incorporate multiple social media channels students and young professionals in Wellingtons, extending from the communication design of as this age demographic frequently uses such the website, with the aim of expanding the online platforms. In my thesis, the interactivity accessibility of information and encouraging of social media generates a sense of presence interaction. Zhang & Lin (2015) define social and encourages people to use it with friends media as a group of internet-based applications and communities, engaging audiences through which carry the content and present it in various the medium of a social community interaction. formats. The evolution of social media has seen Social media activities and the sharing of images an increased flexibility and visibility of content is encouraged and connected to via a QR code and changes in the way in which individuals at public beehive sites in Wellington, aiming to and organisations interact. There is a significant connect users with both the physical and the amount of social and network value to users virtual environments. The website allows for all through social media, as users comment, review images and locations to be collated, enabling and share information online. Zhang & Lin believe the public easy online access to Wellington that social media enables consumers to initiate community bee stories and experiences. The and gain control in the communication process bee, in this sense, acts as an engagement due to its enhanced interactivity features. The strategy for sharing images through social internet has enabled specifically contemporary media, visually encouraging audiences to ways to engage with consumers in new and take part in the spread of knowledge and meaningful ways whilst maintaining an instant interest in our environment and ecosystems. and constant dialogue. Social media allows every

38 Research Through Design Iterative Design Process, Concept Testing, Stakeholder Feedback

The design testing component will include an Conclusion iterative design process, concept testing and The ability for design to address social and feedback from key stakeholders - working from environmental issues asserts its validity as a a design criteria and framework for evaluation professional and unique way of thinking. The constructed through the communication design complexity of a design needs to be defined by principles. An overall iterative concept testing its process, intended content and real world approach will allow the visual and content application. Throughout my design process, design to be presented consistently to the key research and design contributions are key stakeholders, as indicated in the semi- asserted through research about design itself structured interviews. Reflecting on the literature and the iterative process of research through review and the content from the semi-structured design. Experiencing and creating through interviews, the design will then guide and communication design principles allows for produce knowledge by research through design. specific principles to be applied to the process Grainger recognises that “fully implementing a of human centered design. The use of qualitative UCD [user centred design] approach requires research locates the observer in the world - “it an iterative design process involving prototype consists of a set of interpretive, material practices usability testing and an evaluation of tool that makes the world visible. These practices efficacy from the user’s perspective” (2016, transform the world” (Guest, MacQueen p.306). Situating the design among potential end & Namey, 2012, p.4). Input and data from users, in the iterative design process helps the interviewed experts brings richness to the type success of visual design studies as “researchers of information needed to focus a relevant design try to become familiar with the end user’s real- direction. Finally, understanding both the design world environment by observing them in their criteria and target audience enables valuable workplace” (Grainger, Mao, & Buytaert, 2016, feedback to guide the iterative design process p.306). This then leads on to the idea that concept and to test the correct interpretation of information testing “allows you to take a few ideas out to and images. The purpose of my output is to your audience of early adopters and put them formulate a visual interpretation of information to task. One of the benefits of doing a concept through communication design principles, to test quantitatively is that a clear winner emerges inform audiences about current conservation from a few concepts” (Laurel, 2003, p.65). The and sustainable practices necessary in process of concept testing includes guiding Wellington. The honey bee is a key influencer respondents with some kind of stimuli - words, in all of our ecosystems and communities. For pictures, or a rough prototype. This process the future stability of honey bee environments, is most useful at this early point for assessing and their health and wellbeing, individuals need how unique and relevant the concepts are and, to understand that their existence is vital and essentially, whether the ideas are suitable for the that it is necessary to be a part of influencing a intended audience (Laurel, 2003, p.65). During sustainable change. The perception of bees and the process of validation and feedback from their value (to themselves, the environment and stakeholders, further iterative design prototypes people) needs to be shaped through education, may be developed and variations of the in order to realise what kind of current role design may be presented to refine the output, humans need to play, instead of waiting for the leadings to better and more accurate results. inevitable decline of bee colonies to awaken a Recommendations from interviewees will be sense of urgency in their survival. By then, it taken into account and considered because the may be too late. goal of qualitative studies in design is to reduce, rather than to add, complexity. The interaction of qualitative studies within an entire research process is a dance of expansion and contraction of possibilities, but always moving towards an optimised design (Laurel, 2003, p.68).

39 40 5 Stakeholder Perspectives & Design Recommendations

41 Introduction

This chapter will discuss perspectives from the education, and environment, all influencing local bee community in Wellington, and suggest communication design recommendations and a how they can be incorporated into a set of design criteria for the design output. recommendations for a communication design strategy. The questions designed for the semi- Culture structured interviews were aimed at gaining a The current culture of honey bees in Wellington, clearer understanding of honey bees themselves, as indicated by the VUW expert, acknowledges their interactions with humans, and the education that “there is an awful lot of public support around and promotion that surrounds them. Questions honey bees as it is, and it’s growing.” Described also addressed the barriers or negative impacts by the WBA’s spokesperson, Wellington “is a on honey bees currently apparent in Wellington, good place for beekeeping because of all the involving local organisations, businesses, gardens here”. Supporting this, the Botanic residents and environments. The particular Garden’s representative explains their importance people involved in these interviews had various as “an essential ecosystem service for us”. The levels and areas of expertise, education, and benefits of bees in Wellington is recognised practices in the honey bee industry, ranging through all expert opinions as the bees’ function from academics to beekeepers themselves. and location signify their relevance to our culture These individuals included representatives and the beneficial effects that they have on our from; Victoria University of Wellington (VUW), ecosystems. The key narratives in the cultural Wellington Botanic Gardens, the Wellington identity of New Zealand bees include positive Beekeepers Association (WBA) and the Beeple indicia, such as the Manuka honey industry and Honey Collective. The Beeple Honey Collective bees as pollinators of native flora, as well as is unique in its approach to bees, because the negative indicia, such as the fear of bees and organisation initiates various types of educational of being stung, and obstacles to understanding, projects in Wellington, with honey bees and such as confusion between wasps, honey bees beehives being a part of a larger community and bumblebees. These contributing factors focus. A variety of perspectives were sought were raised as concerns by stakeholders, through interview questions, in order to play especially when misinterpreted or viewed to the strengths of organisational experience, adversely by the public. Interviewees agreed locality and current understanding of honey that education is essential to address fears bee populations. A conversational approach and behaviours towards our bee populations. was used, so that both amateur and expert Healthy relationships with our bees should opinions and information could strengthen my highlight the mistreatment (such as stress from understanding of the current state of Wellington over-interference with hives) and potential bee ecologies and beekeeping. Commonalities overpopulation of Manuka bees, create an among responses have been recognised as main awareness of the honey bees’ pollination role themes to address in my design, with specific in New Zealand and educate people as to the topics among these providing visualisations visual differences/stinging actions of relevant and content to cover. The main themes include insect species. Wellington’s honey bee culture, management,

42 The importance of the honey is reflected in the reality, it is founded on a major misconception, large quantities of Manuka products exported because the bee is docile and only harms people from New Zealand. A 2016 Stuff news article by when aggravated. This fear is more common in Gerard Hutching refers to statistics showing that younger generations, and results from ignorance. “currently, total honey exports are worth $242 As the WBA member suggests, “a lot of it is just million a year, of which Manuka makes up about visual, a lot of people get easily intimidated by 80 per cent. The Government and a consortium the sight of hives and bees milling around, they of companies have a target to reach $1.2 billion don’t have to be stung”. Confusion between bees for Manuka honey alone by 2028.” The primary and the common wasp and bumblebee species focus of public beekeeping education, as also leads people to see and treat all bees as articulated by the Botanic Garden and Beeple pests. This common misperception can lead to interviewees, should be to encourage the the mistreatment of bees, potentially resulting in pollination role of honey bees and the benefits the banishing or removal of them from a certain they provide to our native plants and crops. area. Beeple’s representative explains that this The amount of exposure the Manuka industry fear is disappointing as “we are so dependent receives, however, overrides the purpose of the on them, it is such a misconception to think that honey bee in New Zealand, and forces beehives they are somehow dangerous to us - without to produce large amounts of honey even when them we are in danger, it needs to be flipped on living conditions are not suitable. It was suggested its head I think.” by the WBA and Beeple representatives that excessive farming and reliance on one crop A biologist from VUW indicates that, (Manuka) has meant that if the crop does not nevertheless, there is a “popular rise in urban flower due to certain conditions, honey cannot beekeeping currently in Wellington”. Evidence be produced, hence the dramatic seasonal of these increases are voiced by the WBA variations. The VUW spokesperson indicates spokesperson who advises “We are lucky in that known consequences from this market Wellington - we have a large group of interested becoming incredibly popular in New Zealand urban beekeepers. In the club, for example, have been; “a large stocking of bees around we have 350 and most of those would be the country, and potentially poor management”. keeping bees.” Contemporary bee enthusiasts All representatives voiced their concerns for and hobbyists have pushed a positive trend in the Manuka industry, especially Beeple’s bringing communities, individuals, and bees representative who explained; “there is so much together. The Beeple’s representative believes money involved in it that people are mistreating that “bees are an amazing reflection of humans... bees, they are letting hives die, they’re taking and how we should work together and work as everything and feeding hives sugar in the winter a community.” They also describe the Beeple instead of leaving them honey to eat.” Further beekeepers as “watchful, loving and passionate” expansion hopes for the Manuka industry and, through the Beeple Project, “getting people include an increase in productivity by 16-fold, back to community - helping each other out and with early signs being promising after just a few realising that we are all in this together”. Members years of improving genetics and management. of the beekeeping community sees themselves This altering of processes also lends itself to as compassionate, nurturing and concerned the altering of land; “if such productivity gains individuals with the want to benefit personally can be made, they will transform the farming of and altruistically from keeping bees. The marginal, erosion-prone hill country” (Hutching, realisation for self-sufficiency and sustainability 2016). The push for productivity in the Manuka among these beekeeping residents reflects the industry means larger populations and farming of importance to them of maintaining a healthy bees, with more Manuka transformed areas. The relationship with their hives. This illustrates well Beeple representative believes that the global the crossing of communication between human demand for Manuka products encourages the and more-than-human populations who rely on exploitation of bees, and the altering of their this reciprocal relationship - we benefit from natural processes and rhythms. bees and the bees benefit from us. The WBA and Beeple interviewees believe that no beehives Representatives from each organisation all can now exist without human intervention, with identified, as a concern, that the fear of the honey both experts voicing their concerns about the bee stinging leads to the desire to kill bees. In capabilities of new beekeepers.

43 Management The correct management of beehives was a urban environments impose limitations on the main concern of all stakeholders as the practice foraging capacity of bees as they normally travel of beekeeping relies heavily on the education up to 5 km radius. As an example; “the Botanic and experience of new beekeepers including; Garden only has four beehives at the moment ordinary hive inspections, maintenance, and but we can add a lot of hives before we reach regular disease prevention. Other external our maximum in terms of foraging capacity, contributing factors include the availability of because of the amount of flowering plants”. suitable nectar sources, the positioning of hives Yet few urban areas can offer such a range in urban areas and the public knowledge and and extent of food. With an increase in urban awareness of the bee. The current (and future) beekeeping, overpopulation in certain areas can dependence of bees on humans means that a lead to a scarcity in food sources, meaning that lot of preparation and education has to go into it is unable to feed a larger volume of bees. The the beekeeping industry, making it more crucial proximity of hives and habitat spaces must take for specific information to be readily available. into account the amount of available land and resources when ensuring that there is a plentiful Without prior beekeeping experience and food supply. The WBA representative supports this knowledge, there is a higher risk of the beehive by explaining that, for individual beehive sites, dying out or contracting diseases. In New “it’s generally accepted in an urban environment Zealand, bees suffer from exposure to the that no more than four is appropriate, otherwise varroa mite, the spread of a recently-introduced the bee numbers just get too many, inappropriate disease, American Foulbrood (AFB), and for a built up area”. The WBA representative encounters with poisonous pesticides. The WBA explains that “if you are in a city environment such representative believes “some people still think as Wellington, where backyards are very limited that they look after themselves pretty much and and in some cases non existent, it makes it very it doesn’t happen that way - it used to 20 years tricky - so in some cases compromises have to ago. They have to have treatment for the varroa be made. You might not be able to provide the mite on a regular basis.” Currently, Beeple’s ideal site”. There is a general perception across representative believes that it is essential that interviewees that bee knowledge is essential for all “we are answerable at some point because I think beekeepers and necessary for the public, as bee that it’s just carelessness or lack of education encounters are becoming more popular across around beekeeping is what’s going to spread Wellington. To aid in supporting Wellington’s bee these diseases”. There are no prerequisites or practices, the WBA representative suggests that requirements to practising as a beekeeper, so residents should realise that beekeeping is “a the first season of keeping bees is generally the sustainable, beneficial hobby for the environment, hardest to manage, and uncontrollable factors everybody benefits with bees around.” Education also influence the survival of beehives. Beeple’s could help mitigate unnecessary feelings of fear representative acknowledges various barriers and aggression, and encourage positive types to growing Wellington’s honey bee populations of interactions and personal instincts. Further, including; food scarcity, lack of seasonal education should lead to better communication variation, habitat conditions, and overpopulation among human populations regarding the of humans and hives - all contributing to the frequency and location of hives, to minimise well-being, or lack of well-being, of hives. The the stress to hives caused by over-intensive Botanic Garden spokesperson suggests that placement.

44 Education Various types of education tools were discussed pollen sources”. Another WBA contribution to with all interviewees, particularly the types of Wellington communities is this example; “we information distributed by these organisations to just had a stand at the Better Home and Living Wellington audiences and the platforms they use Show last weekend and the main objective was to communicate. The channels of communication to just raise public awareness of bees, answer suggested throughout the interviews include any questions people might have - whether they online websites, publications, Facebook and be basic or fairly advanced.” Significantly, the Instagram as well as community events such as WBA representative suggested a specific target workshops, trade shows and guest talks. Current market for Wellington; “we could do more about types of information are targeted towards each educating the young about beekeeping, I think organisation’s purpose and role in the bee people are far more aware and interested in not industry, with more specific bee and beekeeping just beekeeping I suppose but self sufficiency.” information being addressed by the VUW and WBA stakeholders. This is due to their extensive The Botanic Gardens are focused on providing knowledge and experience in their academic visual examples for local and international and beekeeping fields, both having a lengthy visitors, concerning garden practices and bee dedication to research and the wellbeing of bees. education, specifically with the inclusion of their The Botanic Gardens and the Beeple Honey two bee hive locations. The Botanic Garden Collective are community and activity based representative suggests: “I think if we can’t get the organizations that look into interactions with message out there, then I think what will happen bees and public experiences, with educational is life without bees.” This is why their main focus material to support the general knowledge and is to have “big permanent signage made up for awareness of bees. The different approaches to the pollinator areas, to explain the hives and sharing information is considered in terms of the everything”. The Beeple Honey Collective advise topics and ideas these organisations are wanting that their forms of education and information to communicate. Whether it be academic exist “through our online avenues, Facebook, research, beekeeping education or general Instagram [and] our website. Facebook is really bee awareness, all generated information has a the main driver, we get people joining all the purpose and a target audience. time, it’s extraordinary. And if there’s a write-up anywhere we suddenly get this massive influx The VUW representative explains that “we give of people joining the Facebook page”. Other research about bees, in the media occasionally communication avenues for Beeple are “word with some stories” combined with “quite a of mouth, which is really big for the Beeple few talks, public talks including bees and project itself, it’s really big - people tend to talk native bees”. Information about beekeeping about it”, along with “breakfast clubs, they are is the main focus for the WBA representative actually going to get our honey and talk about it as “there is quite a lot to learn, we encourage - we’ve been donating a kilo into all sorts of little people to join the club and learn at our club charities and I guess it starts a conversation and meetings and field days.” Supporting these that’s really what’s important”. Personal dialogue immersive experiences, “there is a bit of just and online communications suggested by the general beekeeping information exchanged Beeple representative are accentuated through on our website between experienced and “other projects happening in here (the Lower inexperienced beekeepers - so it’s a forum for Hutt community building) who bring elements of people wanting to talk or find out about bees.” bees, suddenly we start seeing bees in people’s The practice of beekeeping requires a lot of consciousness just because they are around it”. initial education, experience and costs. Because of this, the WBA representative explains that “we As a result of their efforts in communication, don’t want everyone to become beekeepers but these organisations clearly influence the types of we would like them to be sympathetic to bees - information Wellington audiences are exposed one of the things we do push is the urban trees to, raising awareness that success relies on for bees (online and brochure) which lists all the interest and sharing of individuals, followed the plants, flowers, shrubs and trees that are by a want to be engaged in Wellington’s bee good for bees in terms of providing nectar and community.

45 Environment Design Recommendations The local knowledge and experience of the There is a realisation from all participants that, Wellington Botanic Gardens and the WBA currently, there is a popular interest in Wellington identified various habitat and living conditions beekeeping practices, as hive and beekeeping for local bee populations as being critical to our numbers continue to rise, specifically in understanding and education of future Wellington urban areas. The specific ideas that should environments. Influencing factors suggested be addressed in the design relate to the main by these representatives include weather topics of culture, management, education and conditions, inner city and suburban land use, the environment. The ideas within each section local practices of sustainability, self sufficiency could be improved upon, grown, or solidified to and the global impact of climate change. Ideas address the issues and concerns of Wellington’s for human intervention included the planting bee health and well being. The cultural aspects of flowering plants and the monitoring of hive include New Zealand’s commercial associations intensification, and and awareness of how within the Manuka industry, the honey bee’s changes in the surrounding climate are affecting function as a pollinator, general fears of being beehive survival rates in Wellington. stung, recognising the difference between bees and wasps and an individual and community Ideas of self sufficiency, recycling, and responsibility. Management issues include the sustainability have started to impact the way experience of beekeepers, the process of hive people care for their surrounding environments, inspections and disease monitoring, the availability especially living conditions for future generations. of food sources, monitoring hive intensification The WBA spokesperson says “many beekeepers and the knowledge of harmful pesticides. The are doing it for environmental reasons, they might education section concerns the communication be doing it for pollination reasons, benefits to the of information in Wellington, types of information environment - the suburb or the city for example. being addressed and general bee knowledge. They just like the idea of doing something for the Finally, the environment section includes ecology”. Beekeeping is another step towards specific weather and habitat conditions needed providing a better climate, particularly for our for bee survival, and bee practices necessary native ecologies, but also for human benefits for sustainable and self sufficient living. and recognising the need for positive human intervention. One of these positive actions is The design ideas derived from the themes avoiding the use of harmful pesticides and discussed can be visualised through planting excessive amounts of crops, instead communication design principles to adhere of flowering plants. The WBA spokesperson to the design criteria structured for the explains, “[as to] sustainability in general, I think website prototype. The clarity, stimulation everybody understands now more than ever that and consideration of all cultural, social and bees are an essential part of our environment ecological concepts in this analysis will visually and we have got to do more to look after them”. communicate the importance of the honey bee in Wellington. Design for the Education of the The knowledge and perception of all Public is a Communication practice that focuses interviewees indicates that, in order for bees on the distribution of messages and persuasive to perform, they must have the right weather information to particular target audiences. The conditions; a warm temperature, majority of coherency of the topics being addressed in the daytime sunlight, minimal rain along with shelter final prototype needs to be graphically, visually from prevailing winds - a frequent problem in and conceptually appropriate for the target Wellington. If these weather conditions worsen or audience and must be applicable to various last for a full season, the sub-optimal conditions media platforms. Communication design become detrimental to bee survival. The Beeple guidelines propose that the overall purpose representative believes “bees have a huge part of these messages needs to be clear to the to play in education around climate change,” audience, and they must relate to a Wellington as temperatures soar or wetter/colder seasons context. There must be a good relationship become more apparent - this lessens the time between the topic and visual presentation of bees have to function. We’ve lost touch with our content, by creating online platforms to raise environments and the bees kind of keep us in awareness and educate public audiences. touch”. This climatic change is addressed in A high aesthetic value has a better chance of Wellington’s implementation of the 100 Resilient being kept active in the minds of the public, Cities plan, Sustainable Development Goals which puts a heavy importance on the craft and (SDGs) and our eco-city focus. legibility of information and images. 46 47 48 6 Design Process

49 Communication Design Criteria Jorge Frascara - Design Principles: Functional Requirements

Perception & Meaning The image must be strong enough to emerge clearly from its context. The images must be visually strong, that is, it should have a high internal cohesion, and should at the same time differ from the context surrounding it. Significance and relevance are major determinants for calling attention. Communication, in turn, does not end with attracting attention. Essentially, it involves making information understandable, usable, interesting, and, if possible, pleasing.

1. Clarity of form & content (perception and understanding) - The presentation of individual elements such as: letters, numbers, pictograms, diagrams, maps, ...charts, graphs, signs, symbols, signage, or control panels. - The organization of communicational sequences, including categorization of complex information ..such as: timetables, study programs, learning aids, legal documents, rules and legislations, theater ..tickets, emergency instructions, instruction manuals, websites, or user interfaces. 2. Facilitation and stimulation of reading (publication design) 3. Consideration of cultural, social, economic, technological, and ecological aspects of all projects

Language & Signification The problem for the designer now is to avoid capricious selections and to develop a visual language that meets the needs of the project. - Fitness to content (is there a good relationship between the topic and the visual presentation?) - Fitness to context (are the visual language and structure appropriate for the people addressed ..and the situation in which the message will appear?) - Quality of concept (is there an idea or only a layout?) - Quality of form (is there a good perceptual organization?) - Legibility/visibility (are letters & images appropriately readable?) - Craft (is the projects well presented?) - Quality of medium (are the possibilities of the medium used well? Is it the appropriate medium for ..the project? Are technologies and materials well used?) - Quality of the research (is the information collected sufficient, interesting, and accurate?) - Power of the persuasive arguments (what is the perceived advantage for the public to remember ..the information provided or to adopt a new behaviour?)

Aesthetics Fundamentally, before evaluating the aesthetic quality of a message, one has to ascertain whether or not the approach adopted is coherent to the public and the message in question.

Extending the Perceptual Time & Memorization In the usual environments in which visual chaos and ugliness tend to dominate, visual pleasure has an important role in the retention of the viewer’s attention. Attract, retain & communicate. Discussed conditions, a message that attract attention, communicates without contradictions, and retains attention on the basis of pleasure through a sustained time.

Active Life of a Design A design with a high aesthetic value will have more chance of being kept active in the mind of its public. The quality of the environment is one of the social responsibilities of the designer. Our urban life is surrounded by design: architectural, industrial, and graphic. Communication design quality should be considered not only in connection with the specific scope of the project in question but also with regard to the cultural impact that it has on our daily life.

Contemporary, traditional, popular visual styles Major concern in design because: - It creates attraction or rejection “at first sight” - It communicates - It affects the perceptual time an onlooker dedicates to a design - It affects the memorization of the message - It affects the active life of the design - It affects, in a broad sense, the quality of the environment

50 Prototype Design Criteria Evaluating Website Communication Design

1. Target Tool for Audience - Applications / Online Platforms - Quality of medium (are the possibilities of the medium used well? Is it the appropriate medium for ..the project? Are technologies and materials well used?) - Fitness to content (is there a good relationship between the topic and the visual presentation?) - Fitness to context (are the visual language and structure appropriate for the people addressed and ..the situation in which the message will appear?) - Quality of concept (is there an idea or only a layout?)

2. Design Media/Technology - Website Interaction - Communication Design - Perception & Meaning - Clarity of form & content (perception and understanding) - Facilitation and stimulation of reading (publication design) - Consideration of cultural, social, technological, and ecological aspects of all projects

Social Media - Usability - How easy is it to use the device? How easy is it to get here? How easy is it for me to know where I ..am and how to get back to where I came from?

Language & Signification - Quality of the research (is the information collected sufficient, interesting, and accurate?) - Power of the persuasive arguments (what is the perceived advantage for the public to remember the ..information provided or to adopt a new behaviour?)

3. Graphic/Visual Design - Craft (is the projects well presented?) - Legibility/visibility (are letters & images appropriately readable?) - Who is the audience (will audiences be willing to engage and respond?) - How do people look at this? (to interpret an image, a form, or an object is to respond to it) - How are these things embedded in a wider cultural context? (behaviours of the community)

4. Overall Design Function & Output Considerations - Key Values (what is the purpose of the message? In which contexts will the message be issued?) - User Profiles (what are the implied messages? What are the media to be used?) - Brand/Concept Message (consistent through design, images and content)

51 Prototype Purpose

Design The design prototype aims to communicate the The individual bee represents up to 50,000 other scale and purpose of human actions necessary workers in the same beehive and can travel up in a bee’s life cycle, and their contributions to 5km away from hive. The realisation of a single to New Zealand’s nature and culture. This bee being a small part of thousands, shows visualises how the bee can symbolise a crossing how important this scale is to understand and of purpose and positive intent between humans that every bee only contributes a small amount and ecological systems. The purpose of physical to the overall beehive function. These massive and online interactions aims to normalise the systems of bees are locally unrecognised as purpose and resources bees aid in and to they are often hidden or located on private understand their contributions and how we are residential and commercial land. Access to the helping/hindering these. Whilst showing layers Wellington Botanic Garden hives has increased and perspectives of the bee community and the likelihood for the public to interact with bees encouraging human interactions to forge the and to learn about their processes through path for future successes - from bee survival/ signage and observations. growth to the production of honey and education throughout these stages. There is a main focus It is really difficult to take images whilst surrounded on Wellington populations and the importance by large numbers of bees, as the correct of bringing local communities together through beekeeping suit must be available and worn ideas of sharing resources, planting sustainable to ensure personal safety as well as the safety crops, and education through which bees can of the bees. Due to this barrier, I decided to help us communicate. The target market includes focus on ordinary experiences in public spaces, Wellington’s student and young professional where I could access sites on a regular basis residents, as the communication tools includes and contextualise the images within a familiar online and social media platforms, popular Wellington location. The images of public beehives signify the importance of beekeepers and their role in maintaining the wellbeing of our Photography bees in local ecosystems and understanding The major influence of photography in my thesis the influence they have on our environments. visualises different scales aimed at creating The positioning of these hives is important insight into a honey bees daily routine and how in the pollination of surrounding native flora they experience the world. The difference is and consequently New Zealand’s biodiversity scale shows a human perspective versus that of and sustainability of our land. The media of a bee, especially in public spaces around central photography visually interprets the current Wellington. Normally bees are too small to notice presence of bee populations in Wellington, and among a large grouping of flowers, so these images the large scales illustrate the perspective of the target natural everyday interactions. The aim is bee contrasting with the way we view the world. to encourage and potentially heighten interests The curation of these images aims to tell a visual in human observations in these areas, making story about our current ecological state in order the public more aware of their surroundings to encourage a public curiosity. Capturing and the importance of bees in these areas. The a different perspective of another person enhanced scale photography of a single bee taking a photo addresses the social media exaggerates their beauty and magnificence on and technological component of the output, a larger scale where the human eye is able to and positions the user in the physical beehive location. This shows how the target audiences would interact with the bees, including taking images and sharing their experiences with others online.

52 Figure 8. Human Perspective of Bee at the Wellington Botanic Gardens, by Author

Figure 9. Bee Perspective at the Wellington Botanic Gardens, by Author.

53 Design Iterations The purpose of these iterations is to design represents under the key recognised themes. wireframes that bring structure to gathered The feedback from stakeholders addresses information and can also be used in interviews to which content they found beneficial or not receive feedback from key stakeholders. As each striking enough, storyboarding each key idea iteration progresses, an idea of similar topics and to refine and simplify the output visuals. I really content is pulled together, each evolving from wanted the visuals to be sequential in telling a the analysis of stakeholder views through to the visual story of current honey bee concerns, as visual interpretation of these ideas. This enables it represents the journey through the information the viewer to visualise the actual content on a but also poetically interpretes the life and mockup website, with design recommendations understanding of a bee. Each separate visual focused on the content and images rather than aims to evoke a different response, yet form an a working system. The layout is important to overall understanding of ideas to aid in raising structure as it demonstrates the hierarchy of an awareness focused on these imperative information and visualises ideas that each page aspects of our bee populations.

54 55 ITERATION 1

HOME ABOUT LOCATIONS YOUR BEES

Instagram Creating A Buzz Public Beehives Your Beehives Facebook A Sustainble Future Wellington Map Images Events Products

10.1

HOME ABOUT

HOME ABOUT LOCATIONS YOUR BEES HOME ABOUT LOCATIONS YOUR BEES

Instagram Creating A Buzz

Facebook A Sustainble Future

Creating A Buzz Infographic of Bees

Honey bee (Apis mellifera) The initial introduction of bee species to New Zealand began in the 1830s, with eight different species deliberately introduced, including the honey bee (Apis mellifera). The purpose for their introduction was to pollinate either red clover (Trifolium pratense) or lucerne (Medicago sativa). The honey bee (Apis mellif- era), was first introduced from England into the North Island of NZ in 1839, then followed by their introduction in 1842, into the South Island from Australia.

10.2 10.3

HOME ABOUT LOCATIONS YOUR BEES HOME ABOUT LOCATIONS YOUR BEES

Instagram Creating A Buzz

Facebook A Sustainble Future

Sustainability & Conservation

Sed ut perspiciatis unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accu- santium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam, eaque ipsa quae ab illo inventore veritatis et quasi architecto beatae vitae dicta sunt explicabo. Nemo enim ipsam voluptatem quia voluptas sit aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, sed quia consequuntur magni dolores eos qui ratione voluptatem sequi

nesciunt. Neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit, sed quia non numquam eius modi tem- pora incidunt ut labore et dolore magnam aliquam quaerat voluptatem. Ut enim ad minima veniam, quis nostrum exercitationem ullam corporis suscipit laboriosam, nisi ut aliquid ex ea commodi consequatur? Quis autem vel eum iure reprehenderit qui in ea voluptate velit esse quam 10.4 10.5

Figures 10.1 & 10.3 images by Author, Figures 10.2 & 10.4 Screenshots from Instagram & Facebook edited with images by Author

56 LOCATIONS YOUR BEES

HOME ABOUT LOCATIONS YOUR BEES HOME ABOUT LOCATIONS YOUR BEES

Wellington Botanic Gardens Public Beehives Your Beehives Wellington Map Locations Add A Beehive Images Wellington Botanic Events Wellington Botanic Gardens Gardens Location: Glenmore St, Location: Glenmore St, Name e.g. Maddison Cooper Kelburn, Wellington, Kelburn, Wellington, 6011 6011 Add An Image Company (Optional) Beehive No.1 Beehive No.2 Contact (Optional) Email and/or Phone Number Near the Treehouse Near the Herb Garden, Information Centre the busiest of the two Location Street & Suburb locations + Caption e.g. ‘A day in the life of a bee’ Description Max 50 words

11.1 11.2

HOME ABOUT LOCATIONS YOUR BEES HOME ABOUT LOCATIONS YOUR BEES Your Beehives Public Beehives Location Map Images Wellington Map Products Events

10.3 11.4

HOME ABOUT LOCATIONS YOUR BEES HOME ABOUT LOCATIONS YOUR BEES Add A Beehive Public Beehives Images COMING UP Wellington Map HASHTAGS Products

Events JUNE 14 Information Evening search ______Victoria University of Wellington

SEPTEMBER 6 Bee Awareness Month Opening #honeybee #nativebee Wellington Botanic Gardens #wellingtongardens SEPTEMBER 8 #flowers #beehive Bee Awareness Month Opening Wellington Botanic Gardens

OCTOBER 4 Wellington Beekeepers Monthly Meeting Johnsonville Community Centre

11.5 11.6

HOME ABOUT LOCATIONS YOUR BEES Add A Beehive Images Local Products Products Wellington Stores & Products List

Images

11.7

HOME ABOUT LOCATIONS YOUR BEES Add A Beehive Images Products

Local Products

11.8

Figures 11.1 & 11.6 images by Author, Figures 11.3, 11.4, 11.5 & 11.8 Screenshots from Google edited with images by Author

57 Design Feedback Wellington Beekeepers Association

(Personal Communication) had any instances that I know of where people You might want to consider the solitary bee, have been stung or interfered with the hives. It which is one of the things the Botanic Garden could happen as they become more prominent, wanted me to do something about solitary bees. they’ve been there 6 months and they started off I said well you can’t cultivate the solitary bees, as a nucleus just couple of boxes, but in time you can provide the conditions for them to be they will grow to twice that height and therefore encouraged - which is generally exposed clay the bee numbers will be twice as what they are banks that they can drill holes into, that will help now. but you can’t actually cultivate them or doing anything more than just encouraging them or There is an observation hive at the new learning providing them with the right environment. pavilion that is going to be installed at the Botanic Gardens, the whole idea is to educate the public, Design Suggestion: have photos of the different get them more involved. A display hive at the types of bees (bumble bee, honey bee and Wellington Zoo already exists (meet the locals) - wasps) bees are seen as another domestic animal that has been introduced to NZ for the benefit of the Already exists: tagging photos and beehive country. Bee facts, mainly for the kids, teaching locations and view other peoples hives city kids - bees are seen as just another animal You can actually do that through the Wellington that have formed a key part to NZ’s agricultural club website heritage. Emulate at the Botanic Gardens, have to find a way to manage that hive safely without Beekeepers normally try to hide their hives, people being involved. Maybe all the information because people are very easily intimidated by that goes with it should be the part and parcel of just the sight of hives. And that’s often why they the experience. are painted to blend in, and they’re painted or sited where they can’t be easily seen, off the Design Suggestion: In my opinion you don’t track. Whereas the Botanic Gardens didn’t want to overburden them with too many facts, want that, they wanted them to be visible. The there are an awful amount of facts you could give rope barriers and the slope we have got them them about bees, you can get those anywhere. on above the new childrens playground. So far But I think it’s the bee itself, that action that is in it has worked out quite well, so far we haven’t my opinion fascinating.

58 59 ITERATION 2

HOME ABOUT IMAGES HOW TO HELP

Instagram Bee Types Bees & Beehives Planting Facebook Our Climate Wellington Map Beekeeping

12.1

HOME ABOUT IMAGES HOW TO HELP

Instagram Facebook

12.2

HOME ABOUT IMAGES HOW TO HELP

Instagram Facebook

12.3 ABOUT

HOME ABOUT IMAGES HOW TO HELP

Bee Types

Our Climate Beeple Project Creating A Buzz Bee Types

12.4

HOME ABOUT IMAGES HOW TO HELP

Bee Types Our Climate Our Climate

Positioning of Hives Sunlight, temperature, wind, safe flight paths

12.5

Figures 12.1, 12.4 & 12.5 images by Author, Figures 12.2 & 12.3 Screenshots from Facebook & Instagram edited with images by

60 HOW TO HELP IMAGES

HOME ABOUT IMAGES HOW TO HELP HOME ABOUT IMAGES HOW TO HELP

Planting Bees & Beehives Beekeeping Wellington Map Local Products Add A Bee

Name e.g. Maddison Cooper Add An Image Company (Optional) Contact (Optional) Email and/or Phone Number

Location Street & Suburb + Caption e.g. ‘A day in the life of a bee’ Description Max 50 words

13.1 13.2

HOME ABOUT IMAGES HOW TO HELP HOME ABOUT IMAGES HOW TO HELP Planting Beekeeping Bees & Beehives Local Products HASHTAGS Wellington Map

Wellington Beekeepers Association search ______

#honeybee #nativebee #wellingtongardens #flowers #beehive

13.3 13.4

HOME ABOUT IMAGES HOWYOUR TO BEES HELP HOME ABOUT IMAGES HOW TO HELP Planting Beekeeping Bees & Beehives Local Products Local Products Wellington Map Wellington Stores & Products List

Images

13.5 13.6

HOME ABOUT IMAGES HOWYOUR TO BEES HELP Planting Beekeeping Local Products

Local Products

13.7

Figures 13.1 & 13.4 images by Author, Figures 13.6 & 13.7 Screenshots from Google edited with images by Author

61 IMAGES

HOME ABOUT IMAGES HOW TO HELP

Bees & Beehives Wellington Map Add A Bee

Name e.g. Maddison Cooper Add An Image Company (Optional) Contact (Optional) Email and/or Phone Number

Location Street & Suburb + Caption e.g. ‘A day in the life of a bee’ Description Max 50 words

14.1

HOME ABOUT IMAGES HOW TO HELP

Bees & Beehives HASHTAGS Wellington Map

search ______

#honeybee #nativebee #wellingtongardens #flowers #beehive

14.2

Figures 14.2 images by Author

62 Design Feedback Beeple Honey Collective

A key suggestion from the first iteration feedback - “There is something about bees that creates focused on the education and engagement of this sort of magic in bringing people together.” the public - “the whole idea is to educate the A particular concern was to address New public, get them more involved.” Reiterating Zealand’s Manuka industry: the importance of bees and the application of - “There is a lot going on in that mass bee public education, quotes from this discussion business, side of things that are really just quite emphasised climate change and sustainable sickening actually - forgetting that it’s an animal, practises: that’s the bit that bugs me we are exploiting - “We need bees, we need populations of bees, these animals, forgetting that we are actually we need ecosystems that are varied so that the part of nature.” bees can actually do a job, they need to move on as things flower. I think bees have a huge Target Audience part to play in education around climate change, “I like to throw out crazy facts, especially with all of those things that are kind of getting really teenagers, like it takes a kilo of honey 4 million out of hand. We’ve lost touch, and the bees kind flowers, it’s a phenomenal thing that they do. of keep us in touch. There is a sort of parallel Half a teaspoon is a bee’s life, and I love that it between, and one of things that I get really inspires people to look at bees a bit differently excited about is looking at bee communities in and start thinking about what they are actually their hives and reflecting that on society because doing, rather than just being something that’s we need to care for each other.” going to sting you.” - “This is all part of that educational thing that we are actually dealing with an animal that needs Design Suggestion Summary: certain conditions in order to be able to do it’s Main Ideas: job and we need it to be able to do it’s job so - Community Involvement that’s all that takes and all that climate change - Personal Development stuff as well, it’s a massive subject.” - Responsibility of human intervention & - “I think it is good that we are answerable at some beekeeping skills point because I think that’s just carelessness or lack of education around beekeeping is what’s Bigger Issue: going to spread these diseases.” - Climate change, overpopulation of bees and humans, urbanisation Other key suggestions related to the - Mass farming of bees - unethical practices misconception and nature of human intervention: - Unsustainable scale of Manuka honey farming - “I think that bees are an amazing reflection of and exploitation of bees - consumer and money humans actually and community and how we driven should work together and work as a community.” - “I mean like I say we are so dependent on them Goals: that is such a misconception to think that they - Sharing and helping among communities, self are somehow dangerous to us - without them we sustaining communities - healthy vegetables are in danger, it needs to be flipped on its head and seasonal variations in flowers I think.” - Sustainability of the honey industry

63 64 Iteration 3

HOME PAGE IMAGES

HOME ABOUT IMAGES HOW TO HELP HOME ABOUT IMAGESIMAGES OUR BEES

Instagram Bee Types Bees & Beehives Planting Bees & Bee- Facebook Our Climate Wellington Map Beekeeping Public Beehives Add A Bee Wellington Map

Name e.g. Maddison Cooper Add An Image Company (Optional) Contact (Optional) Email and/or Phone Number

Location Street & Suburb + Caption e.g. ‘A day in the life of a bee’ Description Max 50 words

15.1 14.2

HOME ABOUT IMAGES HOW TO HELP HOME ABOUT IMAGES OUR BEES

Instagram Bees & Beehives Facebook HASHTAGS Public Beehives Wellington Map search ______

#honeybee #nativebee #wellingtongardens #flowers #beehive

15.3 15.4 HOME ABOUT IMAGES HOW TO HELP HOME ABOUT IMAGES OUR BEES Instagram Facebook Bees & Beehives

15.5 15.6 ABOUT HOME ABOUT IMAGES OUR BEES HOME ABOUT IMAGES HOW TO HELP Bees & Beehives Bee Types Wellington Botanic Gardens Public Beehives Our Climate Wellington Map Beeple Project Wellington Botanic Wellington Botanic Creating A Buzz Gardens Gardens Location: Glenmore St, Bee Types Location: Glenmore St, Kelburn, Wellington, Kelburn, Wellington, 6011 6011 Beehive No.1 Beehive No.2 Near the Treehouse Near the Herb Garden, Information Centre the busiest of the two locations

15.7 15.8

HOME ABOUT IMAGES OUR BEES HOME ABOUT IMAGES HOW TO HELP

Bee Types Bees & Beehives Our Climate Public Beehives Our Climate Wellington Map

Positioning of Hives Sunlight, temperature, wind, safe flight paths

15.9 15.10

Figures 15.1, 15.4, 15.6, 15. 7, 15.8, 15.9 images by Author, Figures 15.3 & 15.5 Screenshots from Facebook & Instagram edited with images by Author, Figure 15.10 Screenshot from Google edited with images by Author

65 IMAGES

HOME ABOUT IMAGES OUR BEES Bees & Beehives Public Beehives HASHTAGS Wellington Map

search ______

#honeybee #nativebee #wellingtongardens #flowers #beehive

16.1

HOME ABOUT IMAGES OUR BEES

Bees & Beehives Wellington Botanic Gardens Public Beehives Wellington Map Wellington Botanic Wellington Botanic Gardens Gardens Location: Glenmore St, Location: Glenmore St, Kelburn, Kelburn, Wellington, Wellington, 6011 6011 Beehive No.1 Beehive No.2 Near the Treehouse Near the Herb Garden, Information Centre the busiest of the two locations

16.2 Figures 16.1 & 16.2 images by Author

66 Figure 17. Public Interaction - Phone Photography at Beehive Locations, by Author

67 OUR BEES

HOME ABOUT IMAGES OUR BEES

How To Help Beekeeping Events

Trees for Bees Add An Image

+

18.1

HOME ABOUT IMAGES OUR BEES How To Help Beekeeping Events

Chartwell, Wellington

18.2

HOME ABOUT IMAGES OUR BEES How To Help Beekeeping Events COMING UP

JUNE 14 Information Evening Victoria University of Wellington

SEPTEMBER 6 Bee Awareness Month Opening Wellington Botanic Gardens

SEPTEMBER 8 Bee Awareness Month Opening Wellington Botanic Gardens

OCTOBER 4 Wellington Beekeepers Monthly Meeting Johnsonville Community Centre

18.3

Figure 18.1 image by Author, Figures 18.2 sourced from Wellington Beekeepers Association, Figure 18.3 image from Google

68 Wellington Beekeepers Club Hives Chartwell, Wellington

Figure 19. Club Beehive Location at Chartwell, by Wellington Beekeepers Association

Figure 20. Moving Beehive Boxes at Chartwell, by Wellington Beekeepers Association

69 Physical Locations As a concept to link the physical experience with and reinforces actions and behaviours. This is bee to an online interaction, QR codes would why I have chosen to use this visual interaction be placed at public hive sites like the beehives both in physical and online environments, to at the Wellington Botanic Gardens. This QR ensure communication and sharing among code would directly link audiences to more interested participants is possible and facilitated online content with the ability to also link images by my design concept. Realised in the design through location tagging on social media. The methodology, technology/social media activity code would be displayed on current signage is more common among younger audiences located at these sites, which already has and is ideal for the target market of my design. existing bee information, to add a technological The main target market includes local student aspect to the experience. This design addon populations and young professionals who encourages further action to be taken to find may be temporarily or permanently located in out more on bees in Wellington and also what central Wellington. Beehive locations at the Zoo, we can do to help their current situation. The Wellington Botanic Gardens, and Community image sharing on social media also links to the Gardens are publically accessible and are photographic/imagery output of my thesis, as it busy during the warmer seasons. Social media is a universal method which anyone can take part platforms attached the the online platform in. It becomes a very visual way to interact and include Instagram and Facebook, as these are interpret information as well as communicating the largest, most frequently used applications across online platforms with the purpose to with Instagram having a particular focus on make it accessible for all audiences. This image sharing. A collection of images posted on transfers the stimuli in the physical environment Facebook and Instagram will be collated on the to online information and activity, with the option platform through location tagging and specific of sharing information in a variety of written and hashtags. The sharing and curation of public visual ways. images is a main component in the design as it allows external input to generate and update Communication design outputs include multiple content and visuals, alongside existing images design mediums that convey messages, of my own. The aim is to translate community information and education especially for public involvement into an online environment where audiences. Design for the Education of the Public information and communication tools can easily is an important Communication Design practise be reached and shared by individuals. that streams information to larger audiences,

70 Wellington Botanical Gardens Beehive No.2 (behind herb garden)

Figure 21. Signage and Information at Wellington Gardens Beehive Location, by Author

Why the long grass? Honeybees We’re making a pollinator hotspot. Bees use grassy meadows for Introduced to NZ foraging. Can visit 50-100 flowers in one flight Have 5 eyes How can you help our bees? Live in colonies with up to 50,000 other bees Bee-friendly planting Die after they sting The best thing you can do is plant bee-friendly plants for bees to eat Honeybees make the honey we eat! But they are much more important than that, and pollinate! The more food they have, the better they can do their pollinating 80% of food crops and helping us make medicines, materials and jobs. Bees love basil, rosemary, lavender, clover and manuka, and clothes. To tell other bees where flowers are, bees do a waggle dance that points you can use them too! them in the right direction. They also use the sun and landmarks to help them get back to the hive. Avoiding pesticides and chemicals Why do bees matter? Avoid using pesticides and chemicals in your garden, as they are Bees pollinate our fields, farms and forests. Many of our native plants rely on bees, poisonous to bees! There are many natural pesticides you can try out, and they are an important part of our amazing New Zealand bush. Not only do they and better for your health too. help the plants, but they also help our native birds that eat plants or live in them.

Bees give us a lot more than just honey! A single worker bee may only make Help us spread the message! For more information and tips, buzz 1/12th of a teaspoon of honey, but visits and pollinates thousands of flowers. Many over too fruit and vegetable rely on bees for pollination, and we also depend on them for treesforbees.org medicines and materials such as: www.beehive.org.nz - kiwifruit, apples, berries, lemons, pears, avocados www.saveourbees.org.nz - cotton, flax, coffee, cocoa The Wellington Gardens Bee Biodiversity Initiative aims to promotes bee health and success through providing habitat and protection for both introduced and native bees. Through public education and involvement, we hope that all our visitors learn to love bees as much as we do and feel inspired to play a part in ensuring their survival and success. CREATING A BUZZ

71 Social Media Posts Linked to Website

Figure 22. Instagram Post Example, by Author Figure 23. Facebook Post Example, by Author

Figure 24. Image Collection Graphic of Social Media Posts on Website, by Author

72 73 74 7 Final Prototype

75 Home Page

HOME CULTURE MANAGEMENT EDUCATION ENVIRONMENT

v

76 Social Media Pages

HOME CULTURE MANAGEMENT EDUCATION ENVIRONMENT v

v

HOME CULTURE MANAGEMENT EDUCATION ENVIRONMENT v

v

77 Culture

HOME CULTURE MANAGEMENT EDUCATION ENVIRONMENT

Cultural Associations The cultural association of New Zealand’s honey bee industry, especially large volumes of Manuka plantations relates to the well-being and use of our land, with native flora relating directly back to our people. Showing the physical interaction of the bee with a native flower illustrates these typical relationships within our local ecosystems.

Honeybee Purpose The primary purpose of the honeybee is the pollination process, which involves collecting nectar sources from flowering plants and returning the nectar to the hive to make honey.

78 HOME CULTURE MANAGEMENT EDUCATION ENVIRONMENT

HOMEHOME CULTURE MANAGEMENTMANAGEMENT EDUCATIONEDUCATION ENVIRONMENTENVIRONMENT

Honeybee Bumblebee Wasp

The Fear of Being The fear of being stung can be Species Differences associated with the known aggressive Visual species differences include variations in size, shape, and colouring. nature of the wasp, being able to Bumblebees are larger and rounder in shape, the wasp and honey bee are narrow, visually distinguish between each similar in size but different yellow and black patterning. species is really important so that honey bees aren’t associated with these negative connotations.

79 Culture

Image Sharing The action of image taking and sharing from physical beehive locations in Wellington is important as it visually communicates and reinforces positive interactions and experiences with bees. These images also contextualise the experience within a Wellington setting, and makes others aware of what’s currently happening in our surroundings.

80 HOME CULTURE MANAGEMENT EDUCATION ENVIRONMENT

Personal Responsibility The lonely bee reflects our personal responsibility to ensure the health and wellbeing of our future species and ecosystems. A single bee only contributes a small amount to a larger collective process, realising this, we have the ability to all work together to reinforce positive environmental behaviours.

HOME CULTURE MANAGEMENT EDUCATION ENVIRONMENT

Butterfly & the Bee A beautiful day to check out the wildlife and flowers at the Wellington Botanic Gardens. #honeybee #newzealand #butterfly

Community Involvement This shows an archive of images taken at different bee location in Wellington, with input from Facebook and Instagram and a direct input into the online platform. The relates to the involvement needed in physical communities by encouraging online interactions and the idea of an online community being visually representative of physical individual experiences.

81 Management

HOME CULTURE MANAGEMENT EDUCATION ENVIRONMENT

Wellington Botanic Garden Beehive Locations

HOME CULTURE MANAGEMENT EDUCATION ENVIRONMENT

Beekeeping Necessary human interactions with beehives rely on the education and experience of beekeepers. The particular knowledge needed includes general hive maintenance, hive inspections, disease monitoring and treatment and the final extraction process, all contributing to the wellbeing of the bees and therefore the hive.

Overpopulation With the beekeeping trend having a recent surge in popularity, the carrying capacity of environments needs to be considered. Larger numbers of urban hives and beekeepers can lead to over populated and potentially poorly managed hives.

82 Education

HOME CULTURE MANAGEMENT EDUCATION ENVIRONMENT

General Bee Knowledge General bee knowledge needs to spread among Wellington residents to inform the importance of the bees in our environments and to provide a holistic view of our current ecological state in order to realise consequences of change in the future.

Human Perspective

HOME CULTURE MANAGEMENT EDUCATION ENVIRONMENT

Honeybee Perspective

Food Sources The availability of food (nectar sources) relies on the seasonal flowering of crops, as there needs to be a plentiful supply to support the populations of bees in the area. The spraying of harmful pesticides also needs to be educated, as chemicals are transferred from the crop to the bee, killing the bee.

83 Environment

HOME CULTURE MANAGEMENT EDUCATION ENVIRONMENT

Habitat Conditions The correct habitat conditions need to consider the positioning of the beehive in relation to sun and wind direction. Ideal weather conditions for bees are; less wind, rain, warm temperatures and maximum exposures to sunlight. The correct flight path out of the hive needs to consider neighbouring properties and obstructions, especially in central locations where housing is more dense.

Why the long grass? Honeybees We’re making a pollinator hotspot. Bees use grassy meadows for foraging. Introduced to NZ Can visit 50-100 flowers in one flight How can you help our bees? Have 5 eyes Bee-friendly planting Live in colonies with up to 50,000 other bees The best thing you can do is plant bee-friendly plants for bees to eat and Die after they sting pollinate! The more food they have, the better they can do their jobs. Bees Honeybees make the honey we eat! But they are much more important than that, pollinat- love basil, rosemary, lavender, clover and manuka, and you can use them ing 80% of food crops and helping us make medicines, materials and clothes. To tell other too! bees where flowers are, bees do a waggle dance that points them in the right direction. They also use the sun and landmarks to help them get back to the hive. Avoiding pesticides and chemicals Why do bees matter? Avoid using pesticides and chemicals in your garden, as they are poison- Bees pollinate our fields, farms and forests. Many of our native plants rely on bees, and ous to bees! There are many natural pesticides you can try out, and better they are an important part of our amazing New Zealand bush. Not only do they help the for your health too. plants, but they also help our native birds that eat plants or live in them. Help us spread the message! For more information and tips, buzz over too Bees give us a lot more than just honey! A single worker bee may only make 1/12th of a teaspoon of honey, but visits and pollinates thousands of flowers. Many fruit and treesforbees.org vegetable rely on bees for pollination, and we also depend on them for medicines and www.beehive.org.nz materials such as: www.saveourbees.org.nz - kiwifruit, apples, berries, lemons, pears, avocados www.planbee.buzz - cotton, flax, coffee, cocoa - nuts, grains, potatoes, tomatoes, onions - herbs like basil, coriander, rosemary

The Wellington Gardens Bee Biodiversity Initiative aims to promotes bee health and success through providing habitat and protection for both introduced and native bees. Through public education and involvement, we hope that all our visitors learn to love bees as much as we do and feel inspired to play a part in ensuring their survival and success. CREATING A BUZZ

84 Application of Communication Design Each collection of images addresses the key allows people to first immerse themselves in the themes realised in the stakeholder analysis physical context and then learn more through culture, management, education and the the supportive online material and images. environment. Referring back to Jorge Frascara’s (1997) communication design principles, Throughout the research process I have these images “translate the invisible into the identified key information about Wellington’s visible” and the visual communications are current honey bee populations and have “aimed at broadcasting specific messages to formatted communication design tools. This specific sectors of the public” (p.2). Design for allows for written information to be represented Information and Design for the Education of the through visuals, and for it to become an applied Public were the primary communication practices universal method of communication. The final used, where the work of visual designers spread combines visuals to tell a story about moves between informative and persuasive the perception of the bee and current issues avenues, with the final design combining multiple that need addressing to ensure the future health avenues of information for intended audiences. and wellbeing of our vital species. It also aims to The intended purpose of education aims to create an empathic relationship between humans encourage positive sustainable behaviours and bees by viewing the world at a much larger through active participation and interaction with scale, one that would be seen by the bee itself. these visual materials, extending across linked The details of connections through a QR code social media platforms. Frascara believes that at public locations reinforces the physical and education cannot be reduced to the transmission online relationship of experiences and information of information, in response to this I chose to by adding a technological aspect. These social design engaging visuals and social media media interactions are specifically targeted at platforms to reinforce new technological ways of the intended audience of students and young learning that can be applied to current and future professionals, but is also applicable to other physical and online contexts. The combination of Wellington audiences. a public beehive location and online information

85 86 87 Why the long grass? Honeybees We’re making a pollinator hotspot. Bees use grassy meadows for foraging. Introduced to NZ Can visit 50-100 flowers in one flight How can you help our bees? Have 5 eyes Bee-friendly planting Live in colonies with up to 50,000 other bees The best thing you can do is plant bee-friendly plants for bees to eat and Die after they sting pollinate! The more food they have, the better they can do their jobs. Bees Honeybees make the honey we eat! But they are much more important than that, pollinat- love basil, rosemary, lavender, clover and manuka, and you can use them ing 80% of food crops and helping us make medicines, materials and clothes. To tell other too! bees where flowers are, bees do a waggle dance that points them in the right direction. They also use the sun and landmarks to help them get back to the hive. Avoiding pesticides and chemicals Why do bees matter? Avoid using pesticides and chemicals in your garden, as they are poison- Bees pollinate our fields, farms and forests. Many of our native plants rely on bees, and ous to bees! There are many natural pesticides you can try out, and better they are an important part of our amazing New Zealand bush. Not only do they help the for your health too. plants, but they also help our native birds that eat plants or live in them. Help us spread the message! For more information and tips, buzz over too Bees give us a lot more than just honey! A single worker bee may only make 1/12th of a teaspoon of honey, but visits and pollinates thousands of flowers. Many fruit and treesforbees.org vegetable rely on bees for pollination, and we also depend on them for medicines and www.beehive.org.nz materials such as: www.saveourbees.org.nz - kiwifruit, apples, berries, lemons, pears, avocados www.planbee.buzz - cotton, flax, coffee, cocoa - nuts, grains, potatoes, tomatoes, onions - herbs like basil, coriander, rosemary

The Wellington Gardens Bee Biodiversity Initiative aims to promotes bee health and success through providing habitat and protection for both introduced and native bees. Through public education and involvement, we hope that all our visitors learn to love bees as much as we do and feel inspired to play a part in ensuring their survival and success. CREATING A BUZZ

88 89 90 8 Conclusion

91 Conclusion This thesis has used research and design in indicates a template and design process that an investigation of key social, cultural and can be used to address other critical issues that environmental concepts that impact Wellington’s are related to a specific context, purpose and honey bee populations and beekeeping culture. audience. The information and visual content This exploration highlights that the way we focus aims to be applied to different online platforms, and distribute information needs to include allowing for viewing on different devices such meaningful education and knowledge of bee as computers, tablets and mobile phones. The health and well-being, with the aim to sustain and process of combining content with the function increase our bee population numbers over time. of the social media applications and online The knowledge and education of our honey bees platforms was essential in the application of the is imperative in raising awareness and creating design to it’s intended audience. Extensions for empathic relationships in order to encourage this design could include using these graphics better caretaking practices of our bee ecologies and written content on a functioning website, and surrounding ecosystems. The application which would be permanently available to all of the Communication practice and Design online audiences. With a particular focus on for the Education of the Public, relies on the technological avenues in this thesis, future interpretation of information and the persuasive advancements could consider other types of behaviour of written and visual content relevant information sharing and interaction design, linking to this particular issue. The research has driven physical and online bee environments. the development of a communication design approach, which aims to raise awareness towards As this thesis includes the perspectives of a current barriers and concerns of Wellington’s small number of stakeholders, the information bee populations. The stakeholder perspectives used is a holistic overview of current bee trends and design recommendations chapter in Wellington. Through my interpretation of demonstrates an overall perception that issues these ideas I believe that current fears towards concerning bees and beekeepers are becoming bees can be reinterpreted through the visual increasingly popular in Wellington. With the bee communication mediums of photographs and currently having applications to many different graphics. The relationships between native forms of products, education, research, and ecosystems are important to New Zealand’s practices the scope for raising awareness needs culture, with native flora and biodiversity to focus on Wellington’s local condition. The benefiting from the pollination of bees. To cultural perception and the well-being of honey enhance these relationships and communication bees is important to address as they reflect New of these ideas, photographic processes and Zealand’s culture surrounding our bee industry visual outputs can be used and distributed and how human actions and behaviours relate through multiple media channels. Photographic back to our people and the future sustainability mediums accentuate different scales and details of our land. of the bee and creates a visual insight into their daily lives and physical beauty. The willingness These current barriers and concerns in to relate to more-than-human species can be Wellington include the cultural perception of the fostered by visual recognition (photography) bee and bee industry, management of hives, and encourage a want to share experiences and the education of the bee and their essential interactions online. Larger impacting concepts purpose, and habitat and environmental of sustainability and local environments are sustainability. By encouraging immersive persuaded through written and visual information, interactions at public beehive locations, our local with particular instructions focusing on practices bees can be viewed along with supplementary that will help in fostering the growth of honey online visual and written material that reinforces bee populations. The necessary practices of these experiences and provides an educational beekeeping impacts the wellbeing of hives, with takeaway. This is where the integration of a QR correct maintenance and disease management code can link physical and online information, as being imperative to their survival. The initial well as providing links to social media channels, education of beekeepers is supported through with viewing and sharing being a specific Wellington’s Beekeeping Association, but there interaction that can aid in raising awareness. This needs to be a want for new beekeepers to be visual education tool is formulated around current patient with their learning and understand the industry and expert understandings with specific basics before dedicating themselves to setting content being supplied by key stakeholders up a beehive. and refined into a design prototype. This tool 92 In addition to participating in beekeeping principles, which considers the overall graphic, practices, the public can support and care content and interactive qualities of the information for honey bees without investing themselves being produced. Consequently, the final design as beekeepers. These activities can include prototype is formed by combining each section’s individual actions through to community based findings, with the intent of the design relating to projects that have the potential for people to raising awareness and encouraging empathic encounter bees and to be empathetic of their relationships with our honey bee populations. The existence and purpose. Opportunities for essential research goal is to aid in encouraging personal experiences are made possible by positive environmental actions within Wellington public beehives such as those positioned in the communities, and to start a conversation about Wellington Botanic Gardens, The Zoo and in the future condition of our local ecosystems and suburban community gardens. With the potential species. to rent and host hives, plant bee friendly flowers and aid in spreading education and knowledge, Future Pathways our communities can work together to build a Future pathways for this outcome could include resilient plan for the future sustainability of our displaying the content across different media environments. As there is already a plentiful platforms, as the visuals provide a flexible supply of online resources available to New approach to various issues concerning honey Zealanders, bee interactions and education bee populations both locally and globally. The tools can be extended through research and addition of more stakeholders could broaden communication design. the scope and understanding of organisational roles in Wellington, potential participants could Summary of Chapters include: local honey producers, restaurants The literature and design reviews focus on and services that include bee products and current academic literature and designs that practices, more professional beekeepers, Local aim to reinforce the validity and scope of this Councils and the Wellington City Council. Different topic. A particular urban Wellington context was activities of the bee could also be targeted e.g. identified, relating to the purpose of establishing images within the beehive showing an internal sustainable environments that involve local insight that is not commonly seen by the public. honey bee populations and ultimately how these Various types of photographic approaches ideas can be addressed through communication could be explored e.g. filming, time lapse, scale design. This literature review then informed the and perspective techniques to encourage and research methods to structure a coherent and develop photographics processes and therefore meaningful design process that incorporates different insights of the bee. The relation to context appropriate techniques. The combination of could consider other local or global ecosystems Research About Design and Research Through including bee populations and how the Design methods lead a Human-centered Design relationship with surrounding environments and approach, with the integration of Communication habitats enables or hinders bee productivity. The Design principles aiming to direct the design application of various Communication Design output through the Communication practice: practices can be explored in terms of different Design for the Education of the Public. The medias, issues and messages wanting to be purpose and content of this design is then publicised. The aim of raising awareness in this reinforced and directed through stakeholder thesis could be applied to future contexts through perspectives and design suggestions. This the application of other communication designs, section intends to combine opinions and with the content and visuals supporting current concerns that are consistent across the majority concerns in the honey bee industry. The main of interviewees so that hierarchies of information Communication Design practice of Design for can be formulated and matched to the purpose the Education of the Public could consider other of using Communication Design. The sorting of sustainable issues, using compelling visuals/ information then justifies and elaborates on the photographs to persuade and inform public literature collected in the first section and informs actions and behaviours. The impactful nature the types of content and visuals that can be used to of Communication Design should be intensified address current barriers to honey bee population and used to address relevant social and cultural growth. The integration of a design criteria issues that can be normalised or universalised aims to target the main Communication Design through design.

93 Personal Reflection Throughout this thesis my interpretation and trigger an awareness of the potential future appreciation for New Zealand’s honey bee environmental realities we may face, specifically species has changed drastically. I have been in New Zealand. My own sustainable behaviours continuously immersed in expert and industry and actions have changed for the better, as I can knowledge, along with discovering new ways now appreciate the processes within nature that of impactful and purposeful design. My visual need protecting, and ecosystems that are vital to way of thinking and processing has lead to an the overall health of our environments. In-depth exploration into my photographic capabilities research throughout this thesis has affected my and has extended my understanding of capturing perception of our native land, flora and fauna meaningful ideas in a particular context. The and has subsequently injected a willingness to redefinition of the current global issue of honey practice positive environmental behaviours. As bee decline and the recontextualising of this this environmental awareness will effect me for large scale within a smaller Wellington context the rest of my life, I will be eternally grateful for has been a challenge. This has reinvented this opportunity to study such an engaging and appropriate sources and stakeholders to be relevant topic. A particular passion for studying involved to dictate the design content, through honey bees has accentuated my beliefs in their an experiential, holistic view of Wellington’s bee magnificent existence and the significant role industry. An insight into the positive attitudes and they play in New Zealand’s environmental, social interests of people and organisations involved and economic sectors. Following the legacy and in this industry reflects a unique outlook and passion of beekeepers in my family, new design a healthy concern for the future sustainability ideas and outputs have connected me to past of our environments. I believe that substantial beliefs and practices and has shown me how involvement and interests of younger generations honey bee species will continue to be vital for is needed to encourage conservation and to many years to come.

94 95 Reference List 100 Resilient Cities. (2017). Urban Resilience. Retrieved from http://www.100resilientcities.org/ resilience#/-_/

Barr, S. (2003). Strategies for sustainability: Citizens and responsible environmental behaviour. Area, 35(3), 227-240.

Bartel, C., & Garud, R. (2009). The role of narratives in sustaining organizational innovation. Organization Science 20(1), 107–117.

Beard, C. (2015). Honeybees (Apis mellifera) on public conservation lands: a risk analysis. Department of Conservation, Wellington. 21 p.

Bolchini, D., Yang, T., & Garzotto, F. (2009, October). Evaluating the communication design of branded websites: a value-based framework. In Proceedings of the 27th ACM international conference on Design of communication (pp. 73-80). ACM.

Brown, M. (2016). Futurestorative : Working towards a new sustainability / Martin Brown.

Burgess, J., Harrison, C. M., & Filius, P. (1998). Environmental communication and the cultural politics of environmental citizenship. Environment and planning A, 30(8), 1445-1460.

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Ethics Approval Number 0000023700 Inclusive of participant information sheets, participant consent forms and interview questions.

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